Hydraulic remote control device for controlled members, such as external rear view mirrors on vehicles

ABSTRACT

The device comprises a manipulator (148) whose body (149) houses deformable positioning transmitter bags (145 to 147) each connected by a corresponding hydraulic circuit to a positioning receiver comprising a deformable bag (130 to 132, 133 to 135), whose increases in volume in response to the compression exerted by the user on at least one of the positioning transmitter bags (145 to 147 control a change of the positioning of at least one controlled member. The device may contain a connector connecting the transmitter bags to the receiver bags, and also path switching hydraulic circuits permitting the selective control of one of two different members by a single manipulator. Application in particular to the control of external rear view mirrors on vehicles.

The present invention relates to a hydraulic remote control device forat least one adjustable and/or lockable controlled member mounted on asupport, such as a rear view mirror, particularly an external rear viewmirror for an automobile vehicle, whose orientation it is desired toadjust from the driver's seat inside the vehicle, the hydraulic remotecontrol device according to the invention also being utilizable toadjust the position of other members requiring positioning by pivoting,particularly about two axes at right angles to one another.

Among the numerous known constructions of devices arranged for thispurpose, the invention relates more precisely to hydraulic remotecontrol devices of the type comprising:

a manually operated control member or manipulator, and

at least two but preferably three hydraulic positioning circuits, eachcomprising:

a positioning transmitter, which is a fluid pressure transmittercomprising a flexible walled deformable bag containing a hydraulicfluid,

at least one positioning receiver, which is a fluid pressure receiverhaving a variable volume chamber, and

at least one line connecting the transmitter to each correspondingreceiver,

said hydraulic circuits being such that the flexible walled bag of thepositioning transmitter of at least one hydraulic circuit ismechanically deformed by the manual actuation of the control member, insuch manner that hydraulic fluid contained therein is transferred to atleast one of the receivers connected thereto, and the receiversmechanically connect the controlled member to its support in order tomodify the position of the controlled member relative to its support inresponse to the operations of the control member.

A device of this kind is described in the European Patent Applicationpublished under No. 0152 219, which lists the very important advantagesprovided by a device of this kind in comparison with previousconstructions of the prior art comprising transmissions by levers,linkages or rod systems, movement transmissions utilizing cables, orelse electric motors, these advantages being briefly outlined below.Arrangements using levers, although generally fairly simple inconstruction, do not make it possible to control the external rear viewmirror situated on the passenger's side from the driver's seat, becausethe required path is not a straight line; the disadvantages of thesearrangements are therefore connected with the presence of bends, theconsiderable weight of linkages, and friction, which makes suchembodiments usually scarcely progressive. Arrangements comprising threemovement transmission cables are easier to instal than leverarrangements, but they do not make it possible to control theorientation of the external rear view mirror on the passenger's sidebecause, as the result of friction, the effective length of the controlcables is limited to about 50 centimeters, while beyond that length theoperating forces increase very substantially and have the consequencethat the control device is scarcely progressive and is very difficult toadjust. Finally, devices using electric motors make it possible tocontrol all the external rear view mirrors on the vehicle from thedriver's seat, irrespective of the path followed by the electric wiresbetween these rear view mirrors and the parts of the instrument paneland/or supports disposed inside the vehicle and accessible to thedriver; however, the major disadvantage of arrangements of this kind isthe cost of the electric motors and the space which they require in therear view mirrors.

In the different examples of embodiment of the hydraulic control devicewhich are described in the aforesaid European patent application, themanually actuated control member is always a manipulator handle or stickpivotally mounted or articulated on the cover of a casing containing theflexible walled chambers of the positioning transmitters. Themanipulator handle or stick is always mechanically connected to at leastone rigid member, which is likewise mounted inside the casing, in such amanner that the pivoting movements made by the user with the manipulatorhandle or stick are transmitted with or without stepping down of thetransmission ratio to at least one of said internal rigid members, whichhas or have the effect of compressing at least one flexible walleddeformable bag of the positioning transmitters.

The hydraulic remote control device forming the object of theabovementioned European patent application consequently has thedisadvantages that the assembly comprising the manipulator and thepositioning transmitters is an expensive assembly, on the one handbecause of the large number of components thereof, and on the other handbecause the assembly of these components is a delicate operation.Furthermore, in all the examples of embodiment the manipulator handle orstick is in the form of a lever projecting into the interior of thepassenger compartment of the vehicle, relative to the instrument panel,which is dangerous in respect of the safety of persons travelling in thevehicle and is not necessarily in harmony with the style intended forthe driver's cab and the board or instrument panel. In addition,although the installation of the hydraulic devices offers the sameadvantages as that of the supply lines for electric motors, where thepath followed from the driver's cab to the external rear view mirrorswhich are to be controlled is concerned, it is nevertheless true thatthe hydraulic devices have the specific disadvantage that in the eventof the fracture of a deformable bag, a rear view mirror, or a connectingpipe, all the corresponding hydraulic circuits have to be dismounted andreplaced, and it is for that reason that it has already been proposed toequip the device described in the aforesaid European patent applicationwith a hydraulic connector for each hydraulic control circuit, thishydraulic connector comprising two variable volume chambers, one ofwhich is constantly in communication with the deformable bag of thecorresponding positioning transmitter, while the other is constantly incommunication with the variable volume chamber of the correspondingpositioning receiver, the two variable volume chambers of the connectorbeing maintained by mechanical means in the configuration for thetransfer of pressure from one to the other.

By means of the present invention it is contemplated to obviate thevarious disadvantages attached to the hydraulic control device describedin the abovementioned European patent application and also to bringimprovements to various components of said device.

In particular, the invention proposes a simple, economic, reliabledevice for any distance and path between the manually actuated controldevice and the components controlled, which utilizes hydraulic circuitssubstantially free from friction at the sites of the manually actuatedcontrol member or manipulator and of the connecting pipes.

Furthermore, the invention aims to provide a device which isunrestricted in respect of shape, so that it can be adapted to allstyles of driver's cab.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a device in which thevolume of the manipulator and of the positioning transmitters is reducedin order to facilitate their installation in an instrument panel.

The remote control of a controlled member such as an external rear viewmirror situated on the passenger's side of the vehicle must obviously bepossible under the same conditions from the driver's cab and at lowcost, and the entire device will advantageously be partiallydismountable because of the provision of hydraulic connectors, in theevent that it should be necessary to replace a component such as apositioning transmitter or receiver.

The principle underlying the device according to the invention consistsin directly utilizing deformable bags of hydraulic fluid not only in thepositioning transmitters, but preferably also in the positioningreceivers, in order that a certain volume of hydraulic fluid will betransferred from the transmitter to the corresponding receiver of ahydraulic circuit in accordance with requirements. Flexible walleddeformable bags may occupy practically any position in space, and inparticular three of them may be disposed in circumferential directions,each at an angle to the center of about 120°, or they may occupypositions at 120° to one another, in order to allow the control of theorientation of adjustable members, such as rear view mirrors forvehicles. The use of flexible walled deformable bags in the transmittersadditionally makes it possible to a certain extent to achieve freedomfrom restrictions in respect of shape for the variable volume chambersbounded by these bags. However, it remains necessary to hold or cladthese positioning transmitter bags in supports which may have any shapedictated by style and may thus at the same time serve as embellishers,whether such supports are in the form of fixed or movable members, andwithout any mechanical component, such as a piston, a jack, or the like,being interposed between any movable holder component for a positioningtransmitter bag and the bag itself.

Another principle which may be applied simultaneously consists accordingto the present invention--and for the purpose of utilizing practicallyall the volume of hydraulic fluid available in each hydrauliccircuit--in making use of cams associated with the manually actuatedcontrol member in such a manner as to drive out, through compression,practically the entire volume of fluid originally contained in thedeformable bag of the corresponding transmitter. Similarly, cams may beprovided to act on the deformable bags of the positioning receivers insuch a manner that only the internal volume of the connection pipes maybe considered as dead volume. In this case a third principle will beable to be advantageously applied in the device according to theinvention, namely special arrangements of deformable bags which forexample overlap and combining their actions with special shapes given tothe cams in order to obtain special effects, such as the sequentialtransmission of an unlocking or releasing command followed by at leastone positioning command, in response to a manipulation of the manuallyactuated control member.

In addition, in different possible applications of the device accordingto the invention the locking or securing of controlled members may benecessary. In these different cases the locking or securing functionwill advantageously be served without the deformable bags being placedunder high pressure.

Although in all cases the volume of the deformable bags is linked to thefunction which it is desired that these bags should serve, it should benoted that the remote control device according to the present inventionis limited in its applications to the control of all the controlledmembers which require only adjustments made over short distances, as isthe case with rear view mirrors or spotlights, and also of certaincomponents needing locking, such as spotlights and openable vehicleroofs, or also vehicle doors which it is desired to be able to lock fromthe inside.

Finally, a further principle utilized in the device according to theinvention, for the purpose of limiting the number of manually actuatedcontrol members or, for a given number of such members, in order toincrease the number of members controlled, will consist in providingpath switching for the hydraulic fluid flowing from a deformable bag ofa transmitter to one or the other of a plurality of variable volumechambers of receivers associated with said transmitter.

In order to achieve the aims indicated above, the invention provides ahydraulic remote control device of the type mentioned above, which ischaracterized by the fact that the flexible walled deformable bag ofeach positioning transmitter is mounted directly in the manuallyactuated control member.

In a first particular embodiment specific to the invention the manuallyactuated control member is a direct contact manipulator buttoncomprising a rigid casing delimiting on the one hand an internal spacefor each of the flexible walled bags and on the other hand at least oneopening directly facing at least one portion of the flexible wall ofeach deformable bag, for the purpose of permitting the deformation ofeach bag by direct pressure applied by the user to its flexible wallaccessible through said opening. The advantage of a construction of thiskind is that the external shape of the manipulator button may be ofpractically any kind and is in particular well suited to the style ofthe instrument panel. In particular, the rigid casing may comprise asubstantially cylindrical casing closed, at least partially, on one sideby a cover and at least partially surrounding an internal body which,together with the casing and/or with the cover, delimits threecompartments, which are preferably regularly distributed over the insideperiphery and each of which houses one of the flexible walled bags insuch a manner as to isolate it from the other two bags, the openings forapplying direct pressure to the bags being formed in the casing and/orin the cover. Another advantage of a construction of this kind is thatthe position of the pipes connecting positioning transmitters to thedeformable bags is immaterial. However, in a variant, which isadvantageous from the point of view of the protection of the connectingpipes, the casing is closed on the opposite side to the cover by a facewhich has holes formed in it for the passage of pipes connecting thedeformable bags and which supports the internal body provided with threeprojecting separator arms which delimit pairs of compartments receivingthe deformable bags thus isolated from one another by the arms of theinternal body.

In another variant, which is advantageous because it makes it possibleto provide maximum protection for the manipulator button at times whenno pressure must be applied to any of the deformable bags of thepositioning transmitters, the internal body, the cover which has noopenings, and the casing whose side surface is provided with all theopenings for applying pressure to the deformable bags are mounted formovement as a single piece in relation to a support between two endpositions, of which one is a retracted position in which the casing islocked by a locking mechanism on the support in such a manner that onlythe cover projects outside the support, while the other position is anoperating position in which the casing projects at least partiallyoutside the support, so that the openings for applying pressure to thedeformable bags are freely accessible to the user.

In yet another variant of the manipulator button, which is advantageousin cases where the controlled member is a safety member, which must notbe capable of being inadvertently or inopportunely operated, the rigidcasing is in the form of a dish which has a closed bottom and in whichthe deformable bags are retained and disposed around a central rodfastened to the dish and connecting the latter to a base for thefastening of the manipulator on a support, the base being spaced apartand facing at least one opening in the dish offering access to thedeformable bags connected to the connecting pipes which pass through thecentral rod.

In another variant construction of the device according to the inventionthe manually actuated control member is a linear manipulator comprisinga plurality of pushbuttons disposed side by side, each having a pushermounted for pivoting about a rocking axis on a base fastening thepushbutton to a support, at least one deformable bag being interposedbetween each rocking pusher and the base. In this case also theadvantage of this construction is that the shape of the pushbutton isindependent of the operation and can be adapted to all styles ofinstrument panels. Another advantage is that the constructionalprinciple of a manually actuated control member of this type can beextended to any number of pushbuttons, each being provided with adeformable bag. In one particular example of embodiment of a linearmanipulator of this kind the latter comprises at least three pushbuttonswhich are disposed side by side and whose pushers pivot, near one oftheir ends and on the same side of the manipulator, about a commonrocking pin carried by a common base in which apertures are formed forthe passage of the pipes, each of which is connected to the singledeformable bag housed between each pusher and the common base.

In another example of embodiment, which is advantageous because twodeformable bags are associated with each pushbutton, the linearmanipulator comprises at least two pushbuttons, which are disposed sideby side and each of whose pushers pivots in its central part about acommon rocking pin carried by a common base provided, opposite eachpusher, with two apertures for the passage of the pipes connected to thetwo deformable bags housed between each pusher and the common base, oneon each side of the rocking pin. This constructional principle may beextended to any number of rocking pushbuttons each comprising twodeformable bags. It is thus possible to obtain four functions with tworocking pushbuttons each of which is associated with two bags, so thatthis device makes it possible to reduce the space required for itscontrol member, while including an additional function, which may forexample be an unlocking or release function. It should be noted that anembodiment of this kind is also well suited to practically any shape ofinstrument panel.

In yet another example of the device according to the invention themanually actuated control member is an oscillating manipulatorcomprising a tubular body for fastening the manipulator to a support,and an oscillating pusher guided by a ball-and-socket joint in thetubular body and engaged in the latter by a portion forming a camdeforming at least three deformable bags distributed, preferablyregularly, inside the tubular body, the oscillating pusher also beingprovided with a push plate which is disposed outside the tubular bodyand which, when any eccentric thrust is applied to it, gives rise to arelative displacement of the tubular body and of the pusher, therebycompressing at least one deformable bag.

In another advantageous variant of this example of embodiment theportion of the pusher which forms a cam is a head ball-jointed on an endface of the tubular body and attached to the push plate by a thinnerportion which together with the tubular body delimits at least onecavity housing bags distributed around the head. In this case, since atleast one bag is always at least partly filled when the device isassembled, the oscillating pusher cannot be detached after the devicehas been placed in position.

As previously, the volume of the bags is dependent on the amplitude ofthe displacements designed for the controlled member. In this examplethe shape of the cam inside the pusher will make it possible to emptythe bags and to make use of all the liquid available in them. In thistype of embodiment the section of the oscillating pusher is notnecessarily circular, and in particular the head of the oscillatingpusher may have the external shape of a cam comprising at least threelobes compressing deformable bags. A construction of this kind makes itpossible to give priority to displacements along certain axes,particularly when each lobe faces a deformable bag, but in addition withthe aid of this device it is also possible to displace a controlledmember along two axes at the same time when the lobes bear at leastpartially against two deformable bags simultaneously. In order that theoutside shape of the oscillating manipulator may be independent of thesefunctions and be adaptable to the style of the driver's cab in thevehicle, it is advantageous for that portion of the pusher which formsthe cam to be a skirt whose external face is at least partially shapedas a convex spherical dome mounted as a ball joint in a concavespherical dome forming a bearing surface inside the tubular body, andfor the inner face of the skirt to delimit, in conjunction with a bossengaged in the skirt and fastened to the tubular body, at least onecavity housing deformable bags distributed around the boss, and insidethe skirt.

In yet another embodiment of the device according to the invention themanually actuated control member is a pusher type manipulator mountedfloatingly on a base fastening the manipulator to a support, and havingat least three cavities receiving deformable bags, facing which thepusher is provided with cams for the compression of the deformable bagswhen a thrust is applied to the pusher. In an embodiment of this kind,which is advantageous because of its structural simplicity, it ispossible for at least two deformable bags to overlap partially facing apusher cam whose approach stroke relative to the bags is shorter, whenthe pusher is moved towards the base, than the approach strokes of thecams facing non-overlapping portions of the two partially overlappingbags. It is clear that the actuation of the floating manipulator in theoverlap zone of two deformable bags makes it possible to controlsimultaneously the positioning of the controlled member in two differentdirections, in addition to the fact that the corresponding controlstroke is very short.

In a variant of an embodiment of the floating manipulator havingoverlapping bags the base has an additional central cavity housing anadditional central deformable bag, around which are distributed theother deformable bags which are not overlapped by the central bag, andthe pusher has a central cam facing the central bag and provided with aspherical bearing surface in order to allow the simultaneous compressionof the central bag and of at least one other bag, the approach stroke ofthe central cam towards the central bag being the shortest of theapproach strokes of the different cams of the pusher, while the totalstroke of the central cam is such that, when it has been accomplishedand at least two bags have an overlap zone, a cam facing the overlapzone is flush with the overlapping portions of the two correspondingbags. A device of this kind makes it possible to add an unlockingcontrol function for an oriented rear view mirror by acting on the bagsother than the central bag. This floating manipulator is also adaptableto any style of instrument panel, because the functions served arerelatively independent of the shapes selected.

If it is desired to be able to control a plurality of movable memberswhich are adjustable with the aid of simple adjustment means, accordingto another characteristic specific to the invention it is advantageousfor the manually actuated control member to be a path switchingmanipulator making possible the selective control of one or the other oftwo controlled members, the position of each of which is determined byat least two, but preferably three fluid pressure positioning receiversof the deformable receiver bag type, the manipulator comprising on theone hand a body housing a corresponding number of positioningtransmitters of the deformable transmitter bag type, each of which isconnected in parallel by connection pipes to two positioning receiverseach associated with one of the two controlled members, and on the otherhand two fluid pressure obturating transmitters, likewise of thedeformable transmitter bag type, each of which is connected by aconnection pipe to a fluid pressure obturating receiver of thedeformable receiver bag type, which is held by mechanical means i apressure transmission relationship with each of a corresponding numberof deformable isolator bags, each of which is situated upstream of oneof the deformable receiver bags of the positioning receivers associatewith one of the controlled members, in such a manner that thecompression of an obturating transmitter bag transfers fluid to theobturating receiver bag which is connected to it and which is placedunder pressure and increases in volume in such a manner as to compresssimultaneously the isolator bags upstream of the positioning receiverbags of the corresponding controlled member, in order to cutcommunication between these positioning receiver bags and thepositioning transmitter bags of the manipulator which remain incommunication with the positioning receiver bags associated with theother controlled member.

When the control device according to the invention contains a pathswitching manipulator of this kind, it is advantageous, in oneembodiment which is of simple construction and easy to actuate, for themanipulator body to be fastened to a base mounted on a support forpivoting about a pivot axis, on each side of which the base has acavity, each of which cavities houses, at least partially, one of thetwo obturating transmitter bags which are retained on the support, insuch a manner that the pivoting of the manipulator on the support, onone side or the other of the axis, brings about the compression of oneof the obturating transmitter bags, that is to say the control of theobturation of one of the paths leading to one of the controlled members,so that only the other member can be controlled (positioned, adjusted orlocked). In order to connect connection pipes which, if they were eachin one single piece, would be too long and too difficult to instal, itis advantageous to use, as already proposed in the previously mentionedEuropean patent application, at least one detachable connector in eachof the hydraulic circuits of the device. In this case each detachableconnector comprises a deformable receiver connection bag connected by aconnection pipe to the deformable bag of a corresponding transmitter,and the connector also comprises a deformable transmitter connection bagconnected by a connection pipe to a deformable bag of the correspondingreceiver, and the connector finally comprises a casing housing thetransmitter and receiver connection bags, holding them bearing oneagainst the other in order that the pressure exerted on the receiverconnection bag will be transmitted to the transmitter connection bag.According to the invention it is then advantageous for the casings ofthe detachable connectors to consist of a single connector bodycomprising two panels which fold over and are detachably fastened oneagainst the other, and each of which has an equal number of at leasttwo, but preferably at least three, cavities each of which comes to facea cavity in the other panel when the two panels are folded over andfastened one against the other, the transmitter bags of the connectionseach being disposed in one of a corresponding number of cavities in apanel which come to face the cavities in the other panel, in each ofwhich cavities is disposed one of the receiver connection bags.

In an embodiment of advantageously simple construction the connectorbody is molded in one piece in a plastic material and its two panelsprovided with caviies are connected to one another by at least oneflexible hinge and are detachably fastened one against the other bymeans of a resilient catch.

When the control device according to the invention simultaneouslycomprises a path switching manipulator and detachable connectors housedin a single connector body, it is advantageous for one of the two panelsof the connector body to be provided with two sets of cavities, eachcomprising:

(1) at least three cavities in which three receiver connection bags arehoused for the transmission of any control pressure to one of the twocontrolled members, and

(2) at least three cavities in which are housed three deformableisolator bags, each respectively in communication with one of the threereceiver connection bags of the corresponding set,

the receiver connection bags of the two sets being connected in threeindependent pairs each comprising a receiver connection bag of a set incommunication with a receiver connection bag of the other set via theirisolator bags which are connected together by a coupling pipe into whichleads a pipe connected to one of the three positioning transmitter bagsof the path switching manipulator, and for the other panel of theconnector body also to comprise two sets of cavities, each comprising:

(1) at least three cavities in which are housed three transmitterconnection bags for the transmission of any control pressure to one ofthe two controlled members, and each of which is connected by aconnection pipe to a respective one of the three positioning receiverbags of the corresponding controlled member, and

(2) at least one cavity in which is housed at least one deformableobturating receiver bag connected by a transmission pipe to one of thetwo obturating transmitter bags of the path switching manipulator, insuch a manner that, when the two panels are folded over and fastened oneagainst the other, each of the three receiver connection bagscorresponding to a controlled member is in the position for transmissionof pressure to a respective one of the three transmitter connection bagscorresponding to the same controlled member, and the obturating receiverbag or bags associated with the three transmitter connection bagscorresponding to this same controlled member is or are in the positionfor transmission of pressure to the three isolator bags in communicationwith the three receiver connection bags corresponding to the samecontrolled member.

It will be noted that the presence of connectors in the control devicemakes it possible to divide each hydraulic circuit into two parts whichare independent in respect of hydraulic fluid. Consequently, if ahydraulic circuit should be damaged on its transmitter side or on itsreceiver side, only one of the two subassemblies has to be replaced andit is not necessary to empty the hydraulic fluid from the whole of thiscircuit. To this end, in order to facilitate intervention for repairsand maintenance at the connector, it is advantageous for at least one ofthe two panels of the connector body to consist of two parts adapted tobe detached, independently of one another, from the other panel, and foreach of the parts to contain one of the two sets of cavities of thecorresponding panel. In this case, if the two controlled members arerespectively a left-hand rear view mirror and a right-hand rear viewmirror, the lifting of one of the panels will give access to the bagsassociated with one of the rear view mirrors, while the bags associatedwith the other rear view mirror will be protected against any accidentalaction.

Another aspect of the invention relates to the hydraulic remote controldevice of the kind described above and of the type in which, inaddition, at least one controlled member is retained on its support byball joint articulation means permitting, on the one hand, the lockingof the controlled member in position relative to its support through thefriction against one another of at least two spherical dome-shapedbearing surfaces whose curvatures are complementary and which have thesame center as said articulation means and are applied against oneanother by a locking pressure, and on the other hand the changing of theorientation of the controlled member in relation to its support throughthe action of an increase of the volume of at least one of the variablevolume chambers of the positioning receivers interposed between saidcontrolled member and its support. In this case, according to acharacteristic specific to the invention, the control device ischaracterized in that it comprises at least one additional hydrauliccircuit comprising an unlocking transmitter of the variable volumechamber type, which is within the reach of the user and is connected bya connection pipe to at least one unlocking receiver of the variablevolume chamber type which is mounted on the support in such a manner asto develop a pressure antagonistic to the locking pressure in order tomove apart said frictional bearing surfaces through an increase of thevolume of said variable volume chamber of the unlocking receiver as theresult of a reduction of the volume of said variable volume chamber ofthe unlocking transmitter. By analogy with the other variable volumechambers of the other transmitters and receivers of the device, thevariable volume chambers of the unlocking transmitters and receiverseach comprise at least one flexible walled deformable bag which ismounted directly in the manually actuated control member for theunlocking transmitter and is retained in at least one cavity provided inthe corresponding support, for the unlocking receiver, while in additionthe locking pressure is advantageously resiliently exerted on thefrictional bearing surfaces.

Different shapes and arrangements can be given to the unlocking receiverbags, depending on the embodiment of the frictional bearing surfacesand, in a general way, of the ball joint articulation means.

In a first example, when the frictional bearing surfaces having theshape of spherical domes comprise a convex bearing surface formed on aplate connected to the controlled member and cooperating with a concavebearing surface which surrounds it and is formed on the support, it isadvantageous for the convex bearing surface to be formed on the outerside surface of the plate whose bottom, on the opposite side to thecontrolled member, is provided with a hemispherical boss projectingtowards the support and having a radius smaller than that of the convexbearing surface, so as to form a half-ball concentric to the convexbearing surface and engaged in a support bowl, said half-ball being heldin position for rotation in the bowl by the compression applied to theconvex bearing surface by a plurality of fingers, each of which isfastened at its base to the support and surrounds the convex bearingsurface in such a manner that each of them defines a portion of theconcave bearing surface, which in this case is discontinuous. At itsbase connected to the support each finger delimits, on the side facingthe plate, a cavity extending in the circumferential direction andcontaining at least one of the inflatable sausage-shaped bladders of astring of bladders serially connected by pipes of slight inside volumeand forming the variable volume chamber of the unlocking receiver, insuch a manner that the inflation of the bladders in response to anunlocking command received from the corresponding transmitter moves thefingers radially apart against the return action of their naturalresiliency, so as to free the convex bearing surface and permit rotationof the plate on the support through its halfball through the action ofthe positioning receivers.

In a second example, if said spherical domeshaped frictional bearingsurfaces of the ball joint articulation means comprise a convex bearingsurface formed by a plate connected to the controlled member andcooperating with a concave bearing surface surrounding the convexbearing surface and supported by a base fastened to the support, thedevice according to the invention is then characterized by the fact thatthe concave bearing surface is formed on a peripheral skirt subdividedinto contiguous panels by radial slots formed in the skirt, whichsurrounds an annular groove formed in the base and containing thevariable volume chamber of the unlocking receiver, which is composed ofa flexible walled deformable bag of substantially toric shape, so thatthe inflation of this substantially toric bag in response to anunlocking command received from the unlocking transmitter brings aboutthe radial opening out of the panels of the skirt in relation to theconvex bearing surface and against the return action of their naturalresiliency specific to the material of which they are made, in order atleast partially to free the convex bearing surface from its locking inposition by the concave bearing surface of the skirt and to permit itsrelative displacement through the action of the positioning receivers.

In a last particular example, in which the ball joint articulation meanscomprise a half-ball which on the one hand is engaged in a hemisphericalsocket in a plate connected to the controlled member, and on the otherhand is fastened to a member connected to the controlled member, thisconnecting member being such that it passes through the bottom of thesocket and is loaded by a resilient member bearing on one side againstthe support and on the other side bearing against the connecting memberin order to exert the locking pressure, the device according to theinvention is characterized by the fact that the variable volume chamberof the unlocking receiver is disposed in a cavity formed in the supportin such a manner as to exert on the connecting member an actionantagonistic to that of the resilient means when the deformable bag ofthe unlocking receiver is inflated by a reduction of the volume of thevariable volume chamber of the unlocking transmitter, which chamber isin turn delimited by a flexible walled deformable bag.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will emerge fromthe description given below, without constituting a limitation, ofexamples of embodiment of the various aspects of the invention, whichare described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1a and 1b are respectively a front elevation and a partial sideelevation, partly in section, of a first example of a direct contactfixed manipulator button.

FIGS. 2a and 2b are respectively a view in cross-section and in sideelevation of a second example of a direct contact fixed manipulatorbutton.

FIGS. 3a and 3b are views corresponding respectively to FIGS. 2a and 2b,showing a third example of a direct contact fixed manipulator button.

FIGS. 4a and 4b are also views respectively similar to FIGS. 2a and 2b,showing a fourth example of a direct contact fixed manipulator button.

FIGS. 5a and 5b are views corresponding substantially to FIGS. 2a and2b, relating to an example of a direct contact retractable manipulatorbutton.

FIG. 5c is a partial axial section of a component of the manipulatorbutton shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b.

FIGS. 6a and 6b are respectively a front view and a cross-section of afirst example of a linear manipulator.

FIGS. 7a and 7b are views similar to FIGS. 6a and 6b, relating to asecond example of a linear manipulator.

FIG. 8a is a partial axial section of an example of an oscillatingmanipulator button.

FIG. 8b is a section on the line A--A of a component of the manipulatorbutton shown in FIG. 8a.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8a, showing a second example of anoscillating manipulator button.

FIGS. 10a and 10b are plan views respectively a first and a secondcomponent of a manipulator of the so-called floating type.

FIG. 10c is a view in cross-section of the floating manipulatorconsisting of the assembly of the components shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b.

FIGS. 10d and 10e show respectively schematic views of the field of viewof an external rear view mirror on a vehicle, with the adjustment axesand privileged adjustment zones, together with a view of an orientablerear view mirror of this kind controlled by the action of threepositioning receivers.

FIG. 11a is a view similar to FIG. 10a and a view in side elevation of acontrol cam type pusher of a second example of a manipulator of thefloating type.

FIG. 11b is a view in cross-section on the line b--b.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view partly in perspective and partly in the formof a circuit diagram of a direct contact, path switching pivotingmanipulator.

FIG. 13 is a view in cross-section of a hydraulic circuit connectorintended for connecting a manipulator to positioning receivers of acontrolled member.

FIG. 14 is a front view in elevation of the connector shown in FIG. 13,in the open position.

FIG. 15 is a schematic view, in the open position, of a connector for adevice comprising a path switching manipulator.

FIG. 16a is a partial view in cross-section of an example of anadjustable rear view mirror casing controlled by a device according tothe invention, with its means for the articulation and the locking andunlocking of said rear view mirror in the casing.

FIG. 16b is a partial schematic view in section on the line c--c in FIG.16a.

FIGS. 17a and 18a are views similar to those shown in FIG. 16a, showingtwo other examples of rear view mirror casings and means for thearticulation and the locking and unlocking of said rear view mirror inits casing.

FIG. 17b is a partial schematic view in section on the line d--d in FIG.17a.

FIG. 18b is a partial schematic view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 18a,and

FIG. 18c is a schematic view of a component of the mechanism shown inFIG. 18a.

In FIGS. 1a and 1b is shown a manually actuated control member ormanipulator of the fixed manipulator button type, for a hydraulic remotecontrol device of a controlled member, which in the remainder of thepresent description will be an orientable external rear view mirror onan automobile vehicle. The hydraulic device for the remote control ofthe positioning of the rear view mirror comprises three hydraulicpositioning circuits, each of which comprises a positioning transmitterconsisting of a flexible walled deformable transmitter bag of arubber-like synthetic material and in communication via a flexible tubeof small diameter, which is relatively slightly elastically deformable,with a similar flexible walled deformable bag constituting a positioningreceiver. The arrangement comprising the two transmitter and receiverbags and the connecting tube is filled with a certain volume ofhydraulic fluid, so that if the transmitter bag is compressed its volumeis reduced and hydraulic fluid contained in it is transferred underpressure through the connecting tube to the receiver bag, whose volumeincreases. The positioning receiver bags being retained between theorientable rear view mirror and a support, which are mechanicallyconnected by said bags, and said rear view mirror being attached to saidsupport by ball joint articulation means, as is described with referenceto FIG. 4 in European Patent Application No. 0152219, to which referencewill advantageously be made for further details of the structure of themounting of the orientable rear view mirror in its support casing, itresults that an increase in volume of one of the positioning receiverbags will give rise to the pivoting of the rear view mirror relative toits support casing, thereby entailing the compression of at least oneother of the positioning receiver bags, which are distributed around thepivot center of the rear view mirror on its support, so that hydraulicfluid is transferred under pressure from said compressed positioningreceiver bag or bags to the positioning transmitter bag or bags which isor are connected to it by a connecting tube.

The manipulator button shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b comprises a casinghaving a substantially cylindrical general external shape and consistingof a tubular side wall 1 closed at one end by a cover 2 and surroundingan internal trilobate body 3 projecting from one face of an end member 4which has the shape of a flat disk whose other face carries projectinglugs 5 intended for resilient engagement in holes provided for thepurpose in a support 6, such as the instrument panel or board. By theend of its side wall 1 on the opposite side to the cover 2 the casing isfixed by adhesive bonding, ultrasonic welding, or any other suitablemethod, and optionally detachably, to the periphery of the face of theend member 4 facing it. The casing, whose side wall 1 and cover 2 formone piece, for example of a relatively rigid plastic material, is thusfastened to another rigid member, likewise of plastic material,consisting of the end member 3 and the inner body 4, which also form onepiece. The assembly is attached in a fixed position by clipping on thesupport 6. Each of the three radial arms 7 of the inner body 3 delimits,with the other two arms, concave compartments forming, in conjunctionwith the facing portions of the cover 2 and of the side wall 1, threesockets each of which opens to the outside of the button by way of anaperture 8 formed partly in the side wall 1 and partly in the cover 2.Each of the three sockets regularly distributed at 120° to one anotheraround the center of the manipulator button contains a positioningtransmitter bag 9, which is a deformable bag isolated in this mannerfrom the other bags by the arms 7 and whose tube 9a connecting it to thecorresponding positioning receiver passes through facing holes providedin the end member 4 and in the support 6. Each deformable bag thusprotected in a rigid casing is accessible from the outside through thecorresponding aperture 8, and it is sufficient for the user to applydirect pressure to the accessible portion of the flexible wall of thebag 9 to compress the latter in its socket and to transmit a hydraulicpositioning control command to the corresponding receiver. Pressure caneasily be applied simultaneously to two bags 9, from the front and/orthe side, because of the shape and the size of the apertures 8 and alsothe regular distribution of the bags 9, openings 8 and arms 7 at 120° toone another and in the circumferential direction around the center ofthe button. This manipulator has the additional advantages that it isformed by the assembly of only two rigid parts, each of which is simplein shape and is easy to manufacture. In addition, the thickness of themanipulator button, that is to say its dimension at right angles to thesupport 6, is slight and its outside shapes can be adapted to the styleof the instrument panel, because the casing may for example have apolygonal section.

The manipulator shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b is also a fixed manipulatorbutton for direct contact on the deformable bags, this button havingnumerous characteristics of identical or similar construction to thoseof the manipulator button described above. The essential differences arethat the three apertures 18 giving access to the three deformable bags19 are oval apertures formed solely by the side wall 11, between thecover 12 and the end member 14, and that the inner body 13 is simplycomposed of three radial arms 17, each in the form of a thin web, butnevertheless rigid, extending from the center to the inner face of theside wall 11. The means retaining the manipulator button on the support16 are not shown in the drawing, but, as in the preceding example, thetubes 19a of the bags 19 pass through facing holes provided in the endmember 14 and in the support 16.

On the other hand, in the direct contact fixed manipulator button shownin FIGS. 3a and 3b, whose general construction and essential componentsare the same as in the two previously described examples, the apertures28 giving access to the deformable transmitter bags 29 are circularapertures formed only in the cover 22 connected by the side wall 21,without apertures, to the end member 24 fixed on the support 26. Inaddition, in this example the radial arms 27 of the central body 23 donot extend as far as the inner face of the side wall 21, butnevertheless remain sufficiently large to isolate the bags 29 from oneanother.

The examples of manipulator buttons shown in FIGS. 2a, 2b and 3a, 3b, inwhich the commands are given by radial and axial pressures respectivelyapplied to the bags accessible through the apertures, provide the sameadvantages as the example shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, and can also beactuated by the user's fingertips, with good selectivity for commands.

When the controlled member is a safety member oriented and/or locked ina position which must not be accidentally or inadvertently changedthrough inopportune compression of a deformable transmitter bag, themanipulator button used is preferably a variant of that shown in FIGS.3a and 3b and is of the kind shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b. In theselast-mentioned figures the side surface 31 is that of a cover 32 in theform of a relatively thick disk constituting a protective casing having,in its face turned towards the support or instrument panel 36, a centralcavity in which is engaged and fastened a rounded core 33 fastened tothe end of a rigid central rod 35 projecting from a base 34 securing themanipulator button on the support 36. In its face turned towards thebase 34 and spaced apart from the latter the casing 32 is also providedwith three compartments regularly distributed around the central cavitymaking the connection to the core 33, each of these compartmentsreceiving a deformable transmitter bag 39, a part of which is directlyaccessible from the outside through a circular aperture formed in anannular plate 37 fixed around the core 33 and retaining each bag 39 inits cavity. In this example the connecting tubes of the bags 39 passthrough channels formed in the central rod 35 and the core 33 andleading into the bottom of the compartments holding the bags 39. Controlis therefore from "underneath", the fingertips being introduced betweenthe base 36 and the casing 32 and at least one bag 39 being compressedtowards the bottom of its compartment through the corresponding aperturein the plate 37.

In this example it is also possible for the bags 39 to be received in ahollow casing and to be separated from one another by radial armsconnecting the casing to the central core 33.

In all the variants the deformable transmitter bags are housed in arigid casing which is in the form of an upturned dish having a closedbottom and in which the bags are retained around a central rod fastenedto the dish and connecting it to the base fixing the device to thesupport.

In FIGS. 5a to 5c another example is shown of a manipulator for directcontact on the transmitter bags, but this manipulator is in this casenot of the type fixed on its support, but is retractable into thelatter. As in the preceding examples, this support 46 is the instrumentpanel, in which is formed a circular aperture surrounded by a rim 46ahaving increased thickness towards the interior of the instrument panel,this aperture receiving a locking mechanism, for example of the balltype, schematically shown at 46b, serving to lock the manipulator in theextended position and also in the retracted position relative to thesupport 46. This manipulator comprises a tubular casing having asubstantially cylindrical side wall 41, which is open at one axial endand completely closed at the other axial end by a cover 42, theperipheral portion of which is joined to the side wall 41 by a portionof increased thickness forming a shoulder 42a, which comes to bearagainst the external periphery of the opening in the support 46, inorder to limit the retraction of the manipulator in the retracted orpushed-in position of rest in the support 46 (see FIG. 5b). Themanipulator also comprises an internal body 43 provided with three arms47 extending both radially at 120° to one another and axially, saidinternal body being fastened, by its opposite end to the cover 42, to anend member 44 in the form of a circular disk. Each of the threecompartments defined between the arms 47 of the internal body 43 housesa deformable transmitter bag 49, whose tube 49a connecting it to thecorresponding receiver bag passes through a hole formed in the endmember 44. The internal body 43 and the three bags 49 housed in theircompartments are surrounded by a flexible sheath 45 consisting of asleeve composed of a thin, elastic film, whereby assembly is facilitatedand the esthetic appearance of the bags 49 is improved, so that theassembly comprising the end member 44, the body 43 and the bags 49 caneasily be introduced into the casing until the end member 44 comes tobear against the end of the side wall 41, which has three apertures 48distributed regularly in the circumferential direction and centered at120° to one another, each of them constituting an opening giving accessto a compartment for the direct compression of the bag 49 containedtherein. After the side wall 42 has been fastened to the end member 44,the manipulator is ready to operate. Starting from the position of rest,in which the manipulator is retracted or pushed into the support 46, asshown in FIG. 5b, when the user wishes to transmit a control command hegrips the manipulator by its cover 42 and pulls it axially away from thesupport 46 until the end member 44 comes to strike against the rim 46a,and the locking mechanism 46b then locks the manipulator in the extendedor operating position. In this position it is then sufficient for theuser to compress at least one of the bags 49 through the correspondingaperture 48 by means of a finger. After the desired control command orcommands have been given, the user pushes the manipulator back into theretracted position, in which it is again locked by the locking mechanism46b.

The manipulator of this example may have numerous different shapes,particularly in respect of its crosssection, which may for example bepolygonal. The casing 41, 42 and the internal body 43 serve only tosupport bags 49, each of which may have a volume of 1.1 cubiccentimeters, for example, and may be filled before or after assembly,thus achieving good adaptation of the manipulator to the style of theinstrument panel.

In FIGS. 6a and 6b an indirect contact manipulator of a so-called"linear" type is shown, comprising three pushbuttons 50 disposed side byside, each of them comprising a pusher or rocker 51 in the form of asubstantially rectangular tongue, the bottom portion 52 of whichprojects on its outer face side and is curved on its inner face side toform a groove 53 closed on each side by two thin side webs 54 extendingas far as the end of the top part 55 of the tongue, which is folded backon the inner face side. By its top curved portion 55 the pusher ismounted to rock about a transverse pin 56 which passes through saidportion 55 and is common to the three pushers 51, on a common base 57serving for fastening to the support 58, such as the instrument panel.Facing each pusher 51 the base 57 has a cavity or compartment in whichis housed a deformable transmitter bag 59 retained at the bottom by astop 57a carried by the base 57 and bounding the correspondingcompartment, while the corresponding connecting tube 59a passes througha hole formed in the base 57 near the top of the corresponding bag 59.Depression of a pusher 51 causes it to pivot about the pin 56 in thedirection of the base 57, and brings about the compression of thecorresponding bag 59, the stop 57a then being received in the groove 53to allow maximum compression of the bag 59. In this example also theshape of the pusher is relatively independent of its operation and maybe adapted to the style of the instrument panel. The manipulator mayhave more than three pushbuttons, each provided with a single deformablebag, and one of them may be an unlocking or coupling transmitter bag incommunication with an unlocking or coupling receiver bag which, wheninflated as the result of the compression of the correspondingtransmitter bag, eliminates or at least very substantially reduces thefriction between two contact surfaces which by rubbing together hold therear view mirror in a particular position. This unlocking commandprecedes the pivoting commands, which are thereby facilitated, as ismore fully described below with reference to FIGS. 16a to 18c.

In FIGS. 7a and 7b is shown a second example of an indirect contactlinear manipulator, which comprises two double pushbuttons 60 (and notthree single pushbuttons 50 as in the preceding example). Eachpushbutton 60 comprises a pusher 61 in the form of a rectangular tonguethe bottom part 62 of which has an increased thickness and projects onthe outer face side, while the central part 63 has an increasedthickness and projects on the inner face side and the top part 65 iscurved back on the inner face side, these three parts being connected toone another by two thin side webs 64 of triangular shape, whose largestdimension, in the direction at right angles to the outer face of thetongue 61, is at the central part 63, in a zone through which passes atransverse pin 66 which is common to the two pushbuttons 60 and aboutwhich each pusher 61 is thus rockably mounted. The pin 66 is supportedby a base 67 serving for fastening on the instrument panel 68 by anysuitable known means, such as for example by screw connection, clipping,adhesive bonding, etc., the base being common to the two pushbuttons 60.This base 67 has for each pushbutton 60 two cavities or compartments,each of which respectively faces one of the two corresponding halves ofthe pusher 61, on each side of the pin 66, and each of these twocavities houses a deformable transmitter bag 69, whose connecting tube69a passes through a hole formed in the bottom of the correspondingcavity and through the base 67. In whichever direction the pusher 61 isrocked about the pin 66, it thus compresses a bag 69 to issue a controlcommand to the corresponding receiver. The two bags 69 disposed betweeneach pusher 61 and the common base 67 may have the same or differentvolumes. The assembly formed by the base 67 and the pushers 61 makes arigid casing protecting each bag 69. In this example four functions canbe carried out with the two double pushbuttons 60, thus making itpossible to reduce the space required for the rear view mirror controlmanipulator, and to group an additional function, for example a couplingor unlocking command, with the three rear view mirror positioningcommands. This mechanism can obviously be extended to more than twopushbuttons 60 disposed side by side and each serving two functionsbecause it is provided with two deformable bags, and the shape of themanipulator may be adapted to the style of the instrument panel.

FIGS. 8a and 8b show an example of an oscillating manipulator 70 whichcomprises an oscillating pusher 71 having a head 72 by which it isengaged and guided in its pivoting movements in a tubular body 73 havinga closed end portion 74 provided with a central substantiallyhemispherical boss 75 projecting towards the interior of the body 73 andbeing engaged in a hemispherical cavity formed in the end of the head72, in order to constitute a ball joint for the articulation of thepusher 71 in the body 73. The latter effects the mounting of themanipulator 70 on a support 76, such as the instrument panel, beingretained in an opening in the support 76. The oscillating pusher 71 isalso provided with a thrust plate 77 which lies outside the tubular body73 and which in its peripheral portion is shaped both as a stopprojecting outwards (that is to say towards the user) in order to limitthe slipping of the user's finger during operation, and as a thin skirtprojecting inwards (towards the body 73 and the support 76) in order toprotect the manipulator against the penetration of foreign bodies intothe three deformable bags 79 housed in a cavity formed in the tubularbody 73, between the inner face of its side wall on its open end sideand the outer face of a thinner portion at the neck 78 which connectsthe head 72 to the thrust plate 77. The bags 79, each of which has avolume of 2 or 3 cubic centimeters for example, are distributedregularly in the circumferential direction around the neck 78, and eachbag 79 extends for example over an arc of a circle subtended by an angleat the center of 120°. The head 72 guided by ball joint articulation at75 on the end portion 74 of the body 73 is shaped externally (see FIG.8b) as a deformation cam having three lobes 72a compressing the bags 79when an eccentric thrust is exerted from outside on the oscillatingpusher 71. In this ex- ample the connecting tubes 79a of the bags 79pass between the head 72 and the body 73 and pass out of the latter viaholes formed in its end portion 74. This manipulator therefore comprisesonly two rigid parts, namely the pusher 71 and the tubular body 73, andthe three deformable bags 79, and as there is always at least one bagwhich is at least partly filled when the device has been assembled, theoscillating pusher 71 is not dismountable and is retained in the tubularbody 73 by at least one bag as soon as the manipulator is in position.

As in the preceding examples, the bag volume is selected in dependenceon the displacements intended for the controlled member. The interiortrilobate cam shape of the head 72 makes it possible not only to emptythe bags 79 and to make use of all the liquid contained in at least oneof them, but also to give priority to displacements along certain axeswhen each lobe 72a faces a bag 79, or else to displacement of thecontrolled member, for example the rear view mirror, along two axes atthe same time when the lobes 72a of the head bear partly against twobags 79 simultaneously.

FIG. 9 shows a second example of a manipulator having an oscillatingpusher guided by ball joint articulation in a tubular body and having acam compressing deformable bags housed in the body. However, in thissecond example the tubular body 83, by which, as in the first example,the manipulator 80 is mounted in an aperture in the support 86, has aportion of its central passage which is arranged as a sliding bearingsurface in the form of a concave spherical dome cooperating with asliding bearing surface in the form of a concave spherical dome havingcomplementary curvature and formed on the external side surface of atubular skirt 82 which at the same time forms the cam of the pushbutton81. The latter comprises, in addition to the tubular skirt 82 engaged inthe tubular body 83, a thrust plate 87 outside the body 83, on the sideof the center of curvature of the concave bearing surface of the body83. On the opposite side to the thrust plate 87 the body 83 is closed byan end member 84, the central part of which supports a bulb-shaped boss85 which projects towards the interior of the body 83 and is engagedwith considerable radial clearance in the skirt 82. In this way theinner surface of the skirt 82 and the outside surface of the centralboss 85 define between them an annular cavity housing three deformabletransmitter bags 89 regularly distributed around the boss 85 in thecircumferential direction, each of them extending substantially over anarc of a circle subtended by an angle at the center of 120°. The tubes(not shown) connecting the transmitter bags 89 to the correspondingpositioning receivers pass between the skirt 82 and the central boss 85and through holes formed in the end member 84. Any eccentric pressureapplied by the user to the thrust plate 87 of the oscillating pusher 81will thus bring about a pivoting movement of the latter in the body 83by the skirt 82, which will thus compress at least one bag 89 againstthe central boss 85, thereby effecting the transfer of a volume ofhydraulic fluid under pressure to the corresponding rear view mirrorpositioning receiver or receivers.

As in the preceding example, the volume of each bag 89 may be of theorder of 2 or 3 cubic centimeters and may be adapted to the positioningmovements necessary for the rear view mirror, while no locking of theoscillating pusher in position is provided. Moreover, the external shapeof the manipulator may be adapted to the style of the instrument panel,and finally the manipulator cannot be dismounted after its componentshave been placed in position and the pockets 89 have been filled. On theother hand, in the example shown in FIG. 9 the bags 89 must be filledwith hydraulic fluid after it has been installed in position, and themechanism comprises three rigid members, namely the oscillatingpushbutton 81, the body 83, and the end member 84 with its boss 85, saidend member 84 being attached to the body 83, whereas in the exampleshown in FIGS. 8a and 8b the mechanism comprises only two rigid membersand the bags can be filled before or after installation.

In FIGS. 10a to 10c is shown an example of a so-called "floating" pushertype manipulator, because it is composed of a substantially flat pusher,shown in plan in FIG. 10b, mounted for movement on the one hand withlimited clearance parallel to its plane and on the other hand over auseful path at right angles to its plane, in relation to a base shown inplan view in FIG. 10a.

This manipulator 90, shown in cross-section in FIG. 10c, comprises abase 91 by which the manipulator is fixed on the instrument panel (notshown) and which has the shape of a rectangular bowl having asubstantially flat bottom and surrounded by a rim 92 of relativelyslight thickness. Three cavities are formed in the top or inner face ofthe base 91, each partly housing one of the three deformable transmitterbags of the manipulator, one of which bags is a bottom central bag 93(in FIG. 10a) while the other two are side bags 94 and 95 which aresubstantially C-shaped with their concavities facing one another andwhich partly overlap by an end portion 94a of the bag 94, disposed abovean end portion 95a of the bag 95, the overlap being situated in thecentral portion of the base 92, on the opposite side to the bag 93,while the three connecting tubes 96, each connecting one of the bags tothe corresponding positioning receiver, pass through holes formed in thecentral portion of the bottom of the base 92, in the zone delimitedbetween the three bags 93, 94 and 95, each of which is retained in itscavity which in plan view has the shape of a corresponding depression.The pusher 97 is shaped as a rectangular cover having dimensionsslightly greater than those of the base 91 and being flat on its outerface; on its periphery it has a rim 98 projecting on its inner face sideand provided at its bottom end with a peripheral bead 99 which projectstowards the interior of the cover 97 and by which it is resilientlyclipped over the periphery of the base 91, in such a manner that thecover can move, relative to said base, in a direction allowingcompression of the bags 93, 94 and 95 enclosed between the base 91 andthe pusher 97 and also, with slight clearance, in the plane at rightangles to that direction. In order to compress the bags selectively, thepusher 97 has projecting from its bottom face four cams of which one,not visible in the section shown in FIG. 10c, is directly verticallyabove the bag 93, while the other three, visible in section in FIG. 10c,are a lateral cam 100 of substantially triangular section, vertically inline with the side portion of the bag 94, a lateral cam 101 oftrapezoidal section with its short base facing downwards and verticallyin line with the side portion of the bag 95, and a central cam 102,likewise of trapezoidal section, vertically in line with the superposedportions 94a and 95a of the two bags 94 and 95. This central cam 102 isthe thickest, and its thickness is such that in the position of rest,when no pressure is applied to the pusher 97, the cam 102 is flush withthe bag portion 94a.

The shapes of the cams 100, 101 and 102 and of the cam not shown in thedrawings are such that they make it possible to utilize the entirevolume of hydraulic fluid required for the movements of the rear viewmirror, in cooperation with the bags, whose volumes may vary between 0.5and 2 cubic centimeters, for example, and after an approach stroke -xwhich is practically zero for the cam 102 and still short for the otherthree cams. This manipulator, which comprises only two rigid parts whichcan be adapted to the style of the instrument panel and the installationof which is easy, makes it possible, because of the three bags of whichtwo are partly superposed and of the four cams, to serve four differentfunctions of which, as in the preceding examples, three are functionsfor the positioning of the rear view mirror by pivoting in particulardirections, through compression of the bag 93 and the non-superposedportions of the bags 94 and 95, the compression being achieved by theapplication of pressure to the floating pusher 97 at the cams 100, 101and of the cam not shown in the drawings, these positions beingindicated by the symbols H, B and α on the top of the pusher 97. Thefourth function is a special function which, in the example ofapplication to the control of the pivoting of a rear view mirror, may bea command for the rapid placing of the rear view mirror in apredetermined position through the compression of the superposedportions 94a and 95a of the bags, this compression being effected byapplying pressure to the pusher 97 at the site of the symbol *. Thestroke of the pusher 97 is such that when the user applies pressure inthis zone * the cams 100 and 101 of the pusher 97 are practicallytangent to the bags 94 and 95. The simultaneous application of pressureto these two bags has the effect of orienting the rear view mirror alonga preferential predetermined axis Y, Y' shown in FIG. 10d, which will beexplained below, while the angular positioning adjustment is made byapplying pressure to the zone marked α on the pusher 97 effectingcompression of the bag 93. The ratio of the volume of the superposed bagportions 94a and 95a to the volume of each of the bags 94 and 95 isselected so that the rapid approach function is performed. If theposition of the axis Y, Y' is not exactly that desired by the user,correction is made by separately compressing one of the bags 94 and 95,by applying pressure in one of the two zones marked H and B on thepusher 97.

In FIG. 10d the rectangle A, A', B, B' represents the envelope of theend positions of the eye of the driver of an automobile. However, in themajority of cases the driver's eye moves substantially on a preferentialtransverse axis Z, Z' which is slightly inclined and dependent on thedriver's station and/or driving position. The axis Y, Y' is selected tobe at right angles to the axis Z, Z', so that after the driver's eyereturns to this axis Y, Y' through pressure applied to the rapidpositioning zone *, the adjustment is completed by pivoting the rearview mirror through an angle q about this axis Y, Y', by pressureapplied to the zone α on the pusher 97.

In FIG. 10e, 103 represents schematically a rear view mirror casing inwhich the mirror 104 is positioned by three receivers interposed betweenthe mirror and the mirror casing. The receivers 105 and 106 arerespectively connected to the bags 95 and 94, and the receiver 107 isconnected to the bag 93. Pressure applied at the zone H or B controlsrespectively an increase of the volume of the receiver 106 or 105, thusrespectively pivoting the rear view mirror up or down. By increasing thevolume of the receiver 107, pressure on the zone α effects the pivotingof the mirror about the axis passing through the centers of thereceivers 105 and 106, and pressure on the zone * controls simultaneousaction on the two receivers 105 and 106, thus immediately moving therear view mirror so that the driver's eye will be on the axis Y, Y'.

A manipulator of this kind, comprising three bags and four functions,may be extended to a manipulator having n deformable bags and n+1, n+2... n+p functions, if there are p overlaps of at least two bags amongthe n bags available in the manipulator.

In a simpler variant the bags 94 and 95 have no overlaps, so that thisvariant once again constitutes a manipulator having three deformablebags to control the positioning of the rear view mirror through thecombination of three different commands or functions.

The manipulator 110 schematically represented in FIGS. 11a and 11b is avariant of that described above with reference to FIGS. 10a to 10c, andit functions in accordance with the same principles, that is to say itmakes it possible to provide three commands for the positioning of therear view mirror and one command for the rapid adjustment of the rearview mirror to a predetermined position. The essential difference isthat the base of this manipulator 110 has an additional cavity in thecentral part of its bottom, and that in this additional cavity anadditional deformable bag 112 is partly housed and retained, whilearound it are distributed a bag 113, in the bottom position in FIG. 11aand corresponding to the bag 93 in the preceding example, and twoL-shaped side bags 114 and 115 which partly overlap in the top part ofthe base (in FIG. 11a) and which correspond to the bags 94 and 95 in thepreceding example. Facing the central bag 112, which has no overlap withthe other bags, the pusher 117 (see FIG. 11b) has an additional, centralcam 118 in the form of a hemispherical bearing surface, the volume ofwhich corresponds to that of the bag 112, namely for example 2 cubiccentimeters corresponding to a thickness of 0.5 centimeter and a sectionof 4 square centimeters. The hemispherical shape of the central cam 118makes it possible, when the pusher 117 is depressed by pressure appliedto its central zone V at the central cam 118, to compress simultaneouslyat least one other bag 113, 114 or 115 through the pivoting of thepusher 117 on the hemispherical cam 118. The approach stroke of thehemispherical cam 118 relative to the central bag 112 is the shortestapproach stroke of all the cams in relation to the corresponding bags,and the maximum stroke of this cam 118 is such that after this cam hasbeen depressed to make its maximum stroke the cam 122, which is formedon the pusher 117 facing the superposed portions of the bags 114 and115, on the opposite side to the cam 119 compressing the bag 113,assumes a position flush with the two superposed portions of the bags114 and 115. The slightest pivoting of the pusher 117 through rotationon the hemispherical cam 118, as the result of pressure applied to thezone * on the pusher 117, then makes it possible to compress thesuperposed bags for the rapid positioning of the rear view mirror. Inother respects this manipulator functions like the one in the precedingexample. The manipulator shown in FIGS. 11a and 11b, comprising fourbags of which two are partly superposed, and five cams, thus also servesfive control functions and can be used for controlling accessories otherthan a rear view mirror. In the case of the control of a rear viewmirror the additional function associated with the provision of the bag112, which is the first to be compressed when the pusher 117 isoperated, may be a control for the coupling or unlocking of the rearview mirror, as described below with reference to FIGS. 16a to 18c.

Like the preceding examples, this manipulator may also be adapted to thestyle of the instrument panel, and the relative values of the volumes ofthe bags may be selected in accordance with the desired strokes of thecontrolled member.

FIG. 12 shows schematically a control device comprising a singlemanipulator utilizable for selectively controlling one or the other oftwo controlled members, for example an external rear view mirror on theright-hand side and an external rear view mirror on the left-hand sideof an automobile. The position of the right-hand rear view mirror isdetermined by three deformable positioning receiver bags 130, 131 and132, while the position of the left-hand rear view mirror is determinedby the three deformable positioning receiver bags 133, 134 and 135. Eachof the positioning receiver bags 130 to 135 is in communication via aninlet channel of slight volume with a deformable isolator bag 136 to 141whose volume is substantially smaller than that of the correspondingpositioning receiver bag, and the isolator bags 136 and 139 areconnected in parallel to the same connecting tube 142, while theisolator bags 137 and 140 are connected in parallel to the sameconnecting tube 143, and the isolator bags 138 and 141 are connected inparallel to the same connecting tube 144. Each of the connecting tubes142, 143 and 144 is connected to the decorresponding deformablepositioning transmitter bag 145, 146 and 147 respectively, these threepositioning transmitter bags being housed in the body 149, closed by acover 150, of the path switching manipulator 148, said body 149 havingthree openings though each of which the user can apply direct pressureto a corresponding bag of the three positioning transmitter bags 145 to147, each of which is housed in a corresponding compartment in the body149. The latter is shaped as a handle attached by a tubular grip 151 toa substantially rectangular base 152 mounted for pivoting about itslongitudinal axis 0, 0' on a support not shown in the drawing. On eachside of the longitudinal axis 0, 0' the base 152 has one of twosymmetrical oblong windows, each of which houses one of two deformableobturating transmitter bags 153 and 154, which are retained on thesupport and each of which is connected by one of two connecting tubes155 and 156 to one of two deformable obturating receiver bags 157 and158. These bags 157 and 158 are elongate deformable bags heldrespectively in the casing of the right-hand rear view mirror and in thecasing of the left-hand rear view mirror, one of them 157 being in thepressure transmission relationship with the three deformable isolatorbags 136 to 138 upstream of the deformable positioning receiver bags 130to 132 of the right-hand rear view mirror, and the other 158 arranged totransmit pressure to the three deformable isolator bags 139 to 141upstream of the deformable positioning receiver bags 133 to 135 of theleft-hand rear view mirror. Thus, when the user pivots the manuallyactuated control member constituted by the body 149 and the base 152towards the left in FIG. 12 about the axis 0, 0', the base 152compresses the obturating transmitter bag 153 and thus via the tube 155transfers hydraulic fluid under pressure to the obturating receiver bag157, which increases in volume and simultaneously compresses the threeisolator bags 136 to 138, which are reduced to their minimum volume, sothat the three positioning receiver bags 130 to 132 of the right-handrear view mirror are isolated from the connecting tubes 142 to 144. Thishas the result that any compression by the user of the positioningtransmitter bags 145 to 147 in the body 149 of the manipulator 148 hasno effect on the condition of the positioning receiver bags of theright-hand rear view mirror, and that only the positioning receiver bags133 to 135 of the left-hand rear view mirror can receive controlcommands modifying the orientation of this left-hand rear view mirror byway of the uncompressed isolator bags 139 to 141 and of the connectingtubes 142 to 144, which pass into the tubular grip 151 for connection tothe positioning transmitter bags 145 to 147. Conversely, when themanipulator 148 is pivoted to the right about the axis 0, 0' of itsbase, the obturating transmitter bag 154 is compressed, so that theobturating receiver bag 158 is inflated and the isolator bags 139 to 141are compressed, with the result that the positioning receiver bags 133to 135 of the left-hand rear view mirror are isolated from thepositioning transmitter bags 145 to 147. This prevents the changing ofthe orientation of the left-hand rear view mirror, and only thepositioning of the right-hand rear view mirror can be modified by actionon the positioning transmitter bags 145 to 147 in communication via thetubes 142 to 144 and the isolator bags 136 to 138 with the positioningreceiver bags 130 to 132.

This manipulator 148, which switches the control paths to the two rearview mirrors, combines the principle of the manipulator giving directcontact with three deformable positioning transmitter bags connected tothree deformable positioning receiver bags of the controlled member,with the pivoting of the entire manipulator towards one side or theother, in order to permit the transmission of positioning controlcommands only to one or the other of two controlled members, for exampleto the left to control the left-hand rear view mirror and to the rightto control the orientation of the right-hand rear view mirror. Inrelation to the positioning receiver bags 130 to 132 and 133 to 135 thesmall isolator bags 136 to 138 and 139 to 141 respectively serve asvalves preventing the hydraulic fluid from the positioning transmitterbags 145 to 147 from penetrating respectively into the positioningreceiver bags 130 to 132 and 133 to 135 when respectively the obturatingreceiver bag 157 or 158 is inflated by the compression of respectivelythe obturating transmitter bag 153 or 154. In this example the volume ofthe positioning transmitter bags 145 to 147 is twice that of thepositioning receiver bags 130 to 135, and it is quite obvious that eachpositioning transmitter bag 145 to 147 is connected in parallel to thetwo positioning receiver bags which control the positioning in the samedirection of the two orientable rear view mirrors.

In FIGS. 13 and 14 is shown a connector used to connect connecting tubeswhich in the absence of this connector would be too long and toodifficult to instal between deformable transmitter bags andcorresponding deformable receiver bags, for example positioning bags ofa rear view mirror. Moreover, as already stated in the previouslymentioned European patent application, an advantage connected with thepresence of a connector of this type is that, in the event of damage toa hydraulic circuit in that part of the circuit which is situated on thetransmitter bag side or in that part of the circuit which is situated onthe receiver bag side, only the defective part has to be replaced. Aconnector of this kind thus makes it possible to connect and to separatethe two complementary parts of a hydraulic circuit without having toempty the transmitter and/or receiver bags.

This connector 160 comprises a one-piece molded body of syntheticmaterial, consisting of two panels 161 and 162 hinged to one another bya flexible hinge consisting of a narrow tongue 164 between two parallellines 165 of reduced thickness of material, which form the fold axes X,X' and Y, Y'. One of the panels forms a base 161, whose outer facecarries projecting lugs 166 for fastening by resilient clipping onto asupport 167, and whose edge opposite to the flexible hinge 163 carriestwo hooks 168 which are elastically deformable to permit the releasableclosing of the body when the panel 162 is folded over against the base161 to form a lid and the hooks 168 are resiliently clipped over theedge of the lid 162 on the opposite side to the hinge 163, as shown incross-section in FIG. 13. Each of the two panels 161 and 162 is providedin its inner surface with three cavities or depressions of rectangularshape, and each of the three cavities in one of the panels comes to facea corresponding cavity in the other panel when these two panels arefolded together and fastened one against the other. Each of the cavitiesin the panel 161 houses a deformable bag 169 of corresponding shape,whose connecting tube 169a passes through one of the cutouts providedfor the purpose in the edge of the panel 161. Similarly, deformable bags170 are housed in the three cavities in the panel 162, and theirconnecting tubes 170a also pass through cutouts formed in the edge ofthis panel 162, on the opposite side to that on which the tubes 169apass out of the connector. When the two panels 161 and 162 are fixed oneagainst the other, which means that the connector is closed, the bags170 are each compressed against one of the bags 169, so that theincreases in volume of one entails a reduction of the other to theextent of the same volume, the bags being paired in a pressuretransmission relationship. If the three connecting tubes 169a areconnected to the three deformable positioning transmitter bags of amanipulator controlling the positioning of a rear view mirror, the bags169 will constitute connecting receiver bags whose increases in volumewill give rise to reductions of the volumes of the bags 170, which thusconstitute connecting transmitter bags whose connecting tubes 170a areconnected to the three positioning receiver bags of the rear view mirrorin question, to which the volumes of hydraulic fluid driven out of thebags 170 of the connector are transmitted in order to effect thispositioning.

A connector of this kind may be interposed between a manipulatoraccording to the examples described with reference to FIGS. 1a to 1b and8a to 10c and corresponding positioning receivers. However, in variants,it may comprise more than three connecting transmitter and receiver bagsin order also to relay coupling or unlocking commands in conjunctionwith manipulators according to FIGS. 7a, 7b and 11a, 11b. Finally, itmay be disposed between the isolator bags 136 to 138 and 139 to 141, onthe one hand, and the bifurcation points of the tubes 142 to 144, on theother hand, in a control device according to FIG. 12.

Nevertheless, in order to suit a device equipped with a path switchingmanipulator, an adapted variant of connectors is proposed, which isschematically illustrated in FIG. 15.

Like the preceding example, this path switching connector 171 comprisesa single connector body molded in one piece in a synthetic material andconsisting of two panels 172 and 173, which are substantiallyrectangular in plan view and are hinged to one another, substantiallyabout an axis 0, 0', by a flexible hinge 174, one of the panelsconstituting a base 172 for fastening the connector by any appropriatemeans, for example by resilient clipping, to a support (not shown),while the other panel forms a lid 173 carrying releasable fasteningmeans, likewise of any suitable known type, such as resilient clip hooks175, for fastening the lid 173 against the base 172, by clipping saidhooks 175 over the edge of the base 172 on the opposite side to thehinge 174. Similarly, as in the preceding example, each of the panels172 and 173 is provided in its inner surface with cavities ordepressions housing deformable bags of corresponding shape, whichselectively come to bear one against the other in a pressuretransmission configuration when the connector 171 is closed by thefastening of the lid 173 against the base 172. More precisely, as thisconnector 171 is intended to be mounted between, on the one hand, a pathswitching manipulator such as that shown in FIG. 12, comprising threedeformable positioning transmitter bags 145 to 147 and two deformableobturating transmitter bags 153 and 154, and on the other hand twocontrolled members, such as the left-hand and right-hand external rearview mirrors of an automobile vehicle, each of which is positioned bythe action of three deformable positioning receiver bags, such as thebags 130 to 132 and 133 to 135 respectively in FIG. 12, the panels 172and 173 receive the following deformable bags:

the base 172 receives, at its edge on the side opposite to the flexiblehinge 174, six deformable connecting receiver bags 176 to 181, each ofwhich is in communication via a channel of small volume with a smalldeformable isolator bag 182 to 187 respectively, these bags beingdisposed symmetrically in groups of three on each side of the transversemedian axis at right angles to the articulation axis 0,0', and inaddition these bags are connected in three symmetrical pairs of bagsbelonging to the two groups, the isolator bag 182 being connected to theisolator bag 187 by a channel 188, at the middle of which is located theentry of the downstream end of a tube 189 making the connection to oneof the positioning transmitter bags, such as the bag 145 in FIG. 12;similarly, the isolator bags 183 and 186 are in communication with eachother via a channel 190 into which leads the downstream end of a tube191 making the connection to another positioning transmitter bag, suchas the bag 146 of the manipulator shown in FIG. 12, and the isolatorbags 184 and 185 are in communication with one another via a channel 192into which leads the downstream end of a tube 193 making the connectionto the third positioning transmitter bag 147 of the manipulator shown inFIG. 12; the connecting receiver bags 176 to 181 being thus connectedtwo by two to a respective one of the three positioning transmitter bags145 to 147 of the control manipulator by means of their respectiveisolator bag 182 to 187, their connecting channel 188, 190 or 192, andtheir connecting tube 189, 191 or 193, all three of which extend atright angles to the plane of the bags and of the connector panels.

On the opposite side to the hinge 174 the edge of the cover 173 receivessix connecting receiver bags 194 to 199, each of which is incommunication via a respective connecting tube 194a to 199a with acorresponding positioning receiver bag of the two rear view mirrors;more precisely, the connecting receiver bags 194 and 199, which, whenthe connector is closed, are in pressure transmission relationshiprespectively with the connecting receiver bags 176 and 181 connected tothe same positioning transmitter bag 145 of the manipulator shown inFIG. 12, are respectively connected by their connecting tube 194a and199a to the positioning receiver bags 130 and 133 respectivelycontrolling, in the same direction, the positioning of the right-handand left-hand rear vier mirrors; similarly, the connecting transmitterbags 195 and 198, which on the closure of the connector 171 arerespectively in pressure transmission relationship with the connectingreceiver bags 177 and 180 connected to the same positioning transmitterbag 146 of the manipulator shown in FIG. 12, are respectively connectedby their connecting tube 195a and 198a to the positioning receiver bags131 and 134 controlling the positioning in a second direction of theright-hand and left-hand rear view mirrors respectively, and finally theconnecting transmitter bags 196 and 197, which are in pressuretransmission relationship respectively, with the connecting receiverbags 178 and 179 both connected to the same positioning transmitter bag147 of the manipulator, are respectively connected by their connectingtube 196a and 197a to the positioning receiver bags 132 and 135controlling in a third direction the positioning of the right-hand andleft-hand rear view mirrors respectively. On the side where the hinge174 is disposed, the cover 173 also houses two sets of three seriallydisposed obturating receiver bags, the first set comprising theobturating receiver bags 200, 201 and 202 connected in series by smallchannels and each situated to correspond to a respective one of theconnecting transmitter bags 194 to 196 which are on the same side of thetransverse median axis of the connector at right angles to the axis 0,0', in a symmetrical arrangement, while the second set comprises theobturating receiver bags 203, 204 and 205 connected in series by smallchannels and each situated to correspond to a respective one of thethree connecting transmitter bags 197 to 199, which are on thecorresponding side of said transverse median axis of the connector 171.In addition, the central obturating receiver bag 201 of the first set isin communication via the connecting tube 206 with one of the twoobturating transmitter bags of the path switching manipulator, forexample with the bag 153 of the manipulator shown in FIG. 12, while thecentral obturating receiver bag 204 of the second set is incommunication via the connecting tube 207 with the other obturatingtransmitter bag 154 of the same manipulator. Finally, when the connector171 is closed, the obturating receiver bags 200 to 205 are in a pressuretransfer relationship with the isolator bags 182 to 187 respectively.

In this way, when the connector 171 is closed, if the user rocks themanipulator 148 shown in FIG. 12 to the left in that figure, hecompresses the obturating transmitter bag 153, thereby driving hydraulicfluid under pressure through the tube 206 to the obturating receiverbags 200 to 202, which are inflated and compress the respective isolatorbags 182 to 184. This has the result that the connecting receiver bags176 to 178 are isolated from the tubes 189, 191 and 193, and thereforefrom the positioning transmitter bags 145 to 147 of the manipulator. Inconsequence, any compression of one of the positioning transmitter bags145 to 147 of the manipulator entails a corresponding inflation of thecorresponding connecting receiver bag 179 to 181. This increase ofvolume of one of the bags 179 to 181 brings about a reduction of volumeof the corresponding connecting transmitter bag 197 to 199 and thereforethe transmission of hydraulic fluid under pressure to the correspondingpositioning receiver bag 133 to 135 of the lefthand rear view mirror inFIG. 12, and the transmission of any positioning command to theright-hand rear view mirror is impossible. Conversely, if the user rocksthe manipulator 148 shown in FIG. 12 to the right, he compresses theobturating transmitter bag 154, thereby inflating the obturatingreceiver bags 203 to 205 through the transfer of hydraulic fluid underpressure through the tube 207. The inflation of the bags 203 to 205gives rise to the compression of the isolator bags 185 to 187 and to thereduction of their volume to a minimum value preventing anycommunication between the connecting receiver bags 179 to 181 and thetubes 189, 191 and 193 making the connection to the three positioningtransmitter bags 145 to 147 of the manipulator. Consequently, theconnecting receiver bags 179 to 181 are isolated and cannot change involume, and the same is thus also true of the connecting transmitterbags 197 to 199, so that no command for the positioning of theright-hand rear view mirror can be transmitted to the latter. On theother hand, any compression of the positioning transmitter bags 145 to147 of the manipulator entails an inflation of the correspondingconnecting receiver bags 176 to 178 and therefore a correspondingreduction of the volume of the corresponding connecting transmitter bags194 to 196, so that fluid under pressure is transmitted to thecorresponding positioning receiver bags 130 to 133 in order to controlthe orientation of the right-hand rear view mirror.

In order to permit access to the different bags of the connector whichcorrespond to one of the two rear view mirrors, while retaining theprotection provided by the body of the connector 171 for the bagscorresponding to the other rear view mirror, the cover 173 of theconnector is subdivided into two halves 173a and 173b which adjoin oneanother along the transverse median axis of the connector 171, as shownby a broken line on the cover 173, each half of the latter carrying oneof the two hooks 175 for resilient clipping to the base 172.

Comparison of the connector shown in FIG. 15 with that shown in FIGS. 13and 14, and also with the control device shown in FIG. 12, makes itpossible to see that the isolator bags 136 to 141 and the obturatingreceiver bags 157 and 158 of the control device shown in FIG. 12, whichare installed just upstream of the corresponding positioning receiverbags 130 and 132 and 133 to 135 of the two rear view mirrors and in thecasings or protective housings of said mirrors, have been replacedrespectively by isolator bags 182 to 187 and obturating receiver bags200 to 205 disposed in the connector respectively just upstream ofconnecting receiver bags 176 to 181 which correspond to the bags 169 ofthe connector shown in FIG. 14, and for the obturating receiver bags 200to 205 just close to the connecting transmitter bags 194 to 199 whichcorrespond to the bags 170 of the connector shown in FIG. 14.

Consequently, the path switching connector shown in FIG. 15 provides twoadvantages: firstly, it makes it possible to reduce the length of thetubes connecting the obturating transmitter bags to the obturatingreceiver bags, and above all it makes it possible to reduce the spacedirectly required by the set of bags in the casing or housing of therear view mirror, these bags being limited to the positioning receiverbags and also optionally one or more coupling or unlocking bags, as willbe described below with reference to FIGS. 16a to 18c.

In FIG. 16a is shown schematically part of an external vehicle rear viewmirror the positioning of which is controlled by a hydraulic remotecontrol device according to the invention, said rear view mirror beingof the type shown in FIG. 4 of European Patent Application No. 0152219,with which it has numerous structural characteristics in common, andreference will advantageously be made to the description of thisEuropean patent application for further details of the method ofoperation, which is almost identical to that of the rear view mirrorshown in FIG. 16a. This rear view mirror comprises a casing 210, curvedto reduce aerodynamic drag and to form on its concave side a cavity inwhich a mirror 211 is fixed by its rear face on a plate 212, which is onthe one hand retained by articulation means on a support 213 fixedinside the casing or housing 210, and on the other hand is displaceablerelative to said support 213 by three positioning receivers, such asthat indicated as a whole by the reference 214. This receiver comprisesessentially a deformable positioning receiver bag 215 connected by theconnecting tube 216 directly or indirectly (by means of a connector ofthe type described above) to a positioning transmitter bag of amanipulator, likewise of the type described above. The positioningreceiver bag 215 is disposed in a cylinder 217 fixed on the support 213and provided, on the mirror 211 side, with an axial guide bore for theportion of smallest diameter of a stepped piston 218, whose portion oflargest diameter is received in the cylinder 217 and bears against thebag 215, which in turn bears against the support 213, so that if thevolume of the bag 215 increases as the result of the compression of thecorresponding posititioning transmitter bag, the piston 218 will bepushed back towards the mirror 211 and the plate 212 and will in turnpush these two members back towards the outside, thereby correspondinglymodifying the orientation of the mirror 211 relative to the support 213through the action of the articulation means, the latter comprising onthe one hand a half-ball 219 received in a central hemispherical bowl220 on the plate 212 and mounted around a rod 221 which passes throughan aperture in the bottom of the bowl 220 and an aperture in the support213, the end of which rod nearest the casing 210 is fastened to a radialcup 222. A helical compression spring 223 surrounds that portion of therod 221 which extends between the support 213 and the casing 210, andthis spring 223 bears at one end against the support 213 and at theother end against the cup 222, in such a manner as to urge the rod 221axially towards the casing 210 and therefore to urge the half-ball 219axially towards the bowl 220 on the plate 212, thus holding the latteragainst the piston 218 and pushing said piston back against the bag 215.In addition, the articulation means comprise two frictional bearingsurfaces in contact with one another to hold the mirror 211 in theposition which it occupies after a displacement through the action ofreceiver bags, such as 215, one of these two frictional bearing surfacesbeing a surface having the shape of a convex spherical dome 224 formedon the plate 21 and projecting towards the casing 210 concentrically tothe half-ball 219, while the other frictional bearing surface is asurface having the shape of a concave spherical dome 225 formed on thesupport 213 and projecting towards the mirror 211, likewiseconcentrically to the half-ball 219. In an arrangement of this kind itis clear that the spring 223 has the effect of holding the frictionalbearing surfaces 224 and 225 in contact with one another, thus offeringsubstantial resistance to forces effecting the pivoting of the plate 212on the bowl 220, about the half-ball 219. In order to eliminate, or atleast substantially reduce, this pivoting of the mirror 211 and itsplate 212 relative to the support 213, the casing is provided, facingthe cup 222 and the end of the rod 221, with a circular cavity 226 (seeFIG. 16b) formed in a thickened portion 227 of the casing 210, and adeformable unlocking receiver bag 228 having a flexible wall is housedin the cavity 226 and connected by a connecting tube 228a to adeformable unlocking transmitter bag, such as for example the bag 112 ofthe manipulator shown in FIG. 11a. In this way, compression of saidunlocking transmitter bag entails a reduction of its volume, thusdirectly or indirectly (optionally with the aid of a connector) bringingabout an increase of the volume of the unlocking receiver bag 228, whichhas the effect of applying to the bowl 222 and to the rod 221 a loadantagonistic to the action of the spring 223, thereby tending to removeall contact on the one hand between the half-ball 219 and the bowl 220,and on the other hand between the two frictional bearing surfaces 224and 225.

This has the result that the pivoting movements of the bowl 220 formedon the plate 212 around the half-ball 219, through the action of theincreases of volume of the positioning receiver bags 215 arefacilitated. This device therefore has very great sensitivity to controlcommands. After the release of the unlocking transmitter bag, the spring223 compresses the unlocking receiver bag 228 to restore frictionalcontact between the bearing surfaces 224 and 225, and between thehalf-ball 219 and the bowl 220, thereby locking the mirror and its platein the position occupied by them at that moment. In this device thecalibration of the spring 223 makes it possible to obtain more or lessconsiderable friction between the bearing surfaces 224 and 225, and alsoto eliminate all risk of vibration of the mirror 211 and of its plate212, while retaining very flexible adjustability with very slight loadson the positioning bags, such as 215, when the device is uncoupled byinflation of the unlocking bag 228.

FIGS. 17a and 17b show schematically part of a variant of the rear viewmirror shown in FIG. 7a, which differs from the latter essentially inrespect of the construction of the components of the unlocking orcoupling-uncoupling mechanism. This variant once again comprises a rearview mirror casing 230 in which the mirror 231 is fixed on a plate 232held on a support 233 inside the casing 230 by ball joint articulationmeans, and also a convex frictional bearing surface 234 shaped as aspherical dome projecting from the plate 232 on the side facing thecasing 230, and cooperating with a concave frictional bearing surface235, likewise in the form of a spherical dome, which surrounds thebearing surface 234 and is supported by the support 233 and projectstowards the plate 232. The characteristics specific to this variantconsist in that the concave bearing surface 235 is formed on the axiallyexternal part of the radially internal face of a skirt 236, which on theone hand is disposed on the periphery of the support 233 in the form ofa base arranged as a circular disk, and on the other hand is subdividedinto panels and segments, curved and contiguous and separated from oneanother by radial slots 237 provided in the skirt and regularlydistributed around an annular groove formed in the periphery of thecircular base 233. This groove contains the unlocking receiver bag 238,which is a deformable, variable volume bag having a thin wall and in theform of an elongate sausage curved in the groove in such a manner as toform a toric bag constituting an almost complete loop connected to thedeformable unlocking transmitter or control bag by the connecting tube238a at one end of the sausage (see FIG. 17b). When the unlockingtransmitter bag is compressed, the unlocking receiver bag 538 isinflated, thus effecting the radial opening out of the panels of theskirt 236 and of the concave segments 235 relative to the convex bearingsurface 234 and against the elastic return action of said skirt panelsand segments tending to return them to the original position, the skirtbeing made of an appropriate synthetic material. The convex bearingsurface 234 is thus freed from its contact under pressure with theconcave segments 235, thereby allowing its relative displacementtogether with the plate 232 and the mirror 231 through the action of thepositioning receivers, not shown but also mounted in the rear viewmirror between the base 233 and the plate 232. This variant has theadvantage that it does not have the rod 221, the cup 222, and the spring223 which are necessary in the preceding example.

FIGS. 18a to 18c show another variant of a rear view mirror having anunlocking or coupling-uncoupling mechanism facilitating the action ofthe positioning receivers, and comprising only two relatively rigidmembers in addition to the unlocking receiver. This variant comprisesonce again a casing 240, in which the mirror 241 is fixed on a plate 242having a thickened central portion 243 forming a body of revolution,whose base 244 facing the casing 240 has a central hemispherical boss245 projecting towards the casing 240 and engaged as a ball joint in acavity having the shape of a spherical dome in a boss or bulge 245projecting from the bottom of the casing 240. The side surface of thecentral portion 243 of the plate 242 forms a frictional bearing surface247 in the form of a convex spherical dome having the same center as thehemispherical boss 245 and cooperating with a concave frictional surfacediscontinuously surrounding the convex bearing surface 247 and delimitedon the inner, concave faces, shaped as portions of a spherical dome, offingers 248 regularly distributed around the bearing surface 247, eachfinger being fastened to the casing 240 by its foot 249, which is ofreduced thickness and which, on the side facing the convex bearingsurface 247, delimits a cavity having the form of an arc of a circle inthe circumferential direction around the central portion 243 of theplate 242. Each of these cavities houses one of the inflatablecylindrical sausage-shaped bladders 250 of a string of such bladdersconnected in series by small channels 251 having a small internalvolume, as shown in FIG. 18c, to form the deformable unlocking receiverbag of this device. The inflation of these sausage-shaped bladders 250through the compression of a corresponding unlocking control ortransmitter bag results in the radial spreading out of the fingers 248against the action of their elastic return which brings about thecooperation with the convex bearing surface 247 and holds the half-ball245 against the bottom of the cavity in the boss 246. The radialspreading out of the fingers 248 frees the convex bearing surface 247from its support against the concave bearing surface portions on theinside of the fingers 248, thereby facilitating the pivoting movementsof the mirror 241 and of its plate 242 relative to the casing 240,through the action of the positioning receivers housed, for example,against the fingers 248 and the periphery of the casing 240.

In this example the center 0 of the hemispherical boss 245 having ashort radius is the center of rotation of the mirror 241 and of itsplate 242, as well as the center of the convex surface 247 having a longradius and of the envelope of the concave surface portions on the innerfaces of the four or six fingers 248, whose radial stroke, althoughshort, on the inflation of the bags 250 is sufficient to make thecentral portion 243 movable by pivoting between the fingers 248.

I claim:
 1. A hydraulic remote control device for at least onecontrolled member (211) movable on a support (213, 210), said devicecomprising:a manually operated control member and at least two hydraulicpositioning circuits each comprising: a positioning transmitter (9),which is fluid pressure transmitter comprising a flexible walleddeformable bag containing a hydraulic fluid, at least one positioningreceiver (214), which is a fluid pressure receiver having a variablevolume chamber (215), and at least one line (9a, 216) connecting thetransmitter to the receiver, said hydraulic circuits being such that theflexible walled bag (9) of the transmitter of at least one hydrauliccircuits mechanically deformed by the manual actuation of the controlmember, in such manner that fluid contained in it is transferred to atleast one of the receivers (214) connected to it, and the receivers(214) mechanically connect the controlled member (211) to its support(213, 210) in order to modify the position of the controlled memberrelative to the support in response to the operation of the controlmember, characterized in that the flexible walled bag (9) of eachtransmitter is mounted directly in the manually operated control member,and in that the manually actuated control member is a direct contactmanipulator button comprising a rigid casing (1, 2, 4) delimiting on theone hand an internal space for each of the flexible walled bags (9) andon the other hand at least one opening (8) directly facing at least oneportion of the flexible wall of each deformable bag (9), for the purposeof permitting the deformation of each bag (9) by direct pressure appliedby the user to its flexible wall.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that the rigid casing comprises a substantiallycylindrical casing (1) closed, at least partially, on one side by acover (2) and at least partially surrounding an internal body (3) which,together with the casing (1) and/or with the cover (2), delimits atleast two but preferably three compartments, which are preferablyregularly distributed over the inside periphery and each of which housesone of the flexible walled bags (9) in such a manner as to isolate itfrom the other bags, the openings (8) for applying direct pressure tothe bags (9) being provided in the casing (1) and/or in the cover (2).3. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the casing (1)is closed on the opposite side to the cover (2) by a face (4) which hasholes formed in it for the passage of pipes (9a) connecting thedeformable bags (9), and which supports the internal body (3) providedwith projecting arms (7), the number of which is equal to the number ofbags (9), said arms delimiting pairs of compartments housing bags (9)thus isolated from one another by said arms (7) of the internal body(3).
 4. A device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that theinternal body (43), the cover (42) which has no openings, and the casing(41) whose side surface is provided with all the openings (48) forapplying pressure to the deformable bags (49) are mounted for movementas a single piece in relation to a support (46) between two endpositions, of which one is a retracted position in which the casing (41)is locked by a locking mechanism (46b) on the support (46) in such amanner that only the cover (42) projects outside the support (46), whilethe other position is an operating position in which the casing (41)projects at least partially outside the support (46), so that theopenings (48) for applying pressure to the bags (49) are freelyaccessible to the user.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 1, intended forcontrolling a safety member, characterized in that the rigid casing (31)is in the form of a dish which has a closed bottom and in which thedeformable bags (39) are retained and disposed around a central rod (33,35) fastened to the dish (31) and connecting it to a base (34) forfastening the manipulator on a support (36), the base (34) being spacedapart and facing at least one opening in the dish offering access to thedeformable bags (39) connected to the connecting pipes which passthrough the central rod (33, 35).
 6. A hydraulic remote control devicefor at least one controlled member (211) movable on a support (213,210), said device comprising:a manually operated control member and atleast two hydraulic positioning circuits each comprising: a positioningtransmitter (9), which is a fluid pressure transmitter comprising aflexible walled deformable bag containing a hydraulic fluid, at leastone positioning receiver (214), which is a fluid pressure receiverhaving a variable volume chamber (215), and at least one line (9a, 216)connecting the transmitter to the receiver,said hydraulic circuits beingsuch that the flexible walled bag (9) of the transmitter of at least onehydraulic circuit is mechanically deformed by the manual actuation ofthe control member, in such manner that fluid contained in it istransferred to at least one of the receivers (214) connected to it, andthe receivers (214) mechanically connect the controlled member (211) toits support (213, 210) in order to modify the position of the controlledmember relative to the support in response to the operation of thecontrol member, characterized in that the flexible walled bag (9) ofeach transmitter is mounted directly in the manually operated controlmember, and in that the manually actuated control member is a linearmanipulator comprising a plurality of pushbuttons (50) disposed side byside and each having a pusher (51) mounted for pivoting about a rockingaxis (56) on a base (57) fastening the pushbotton (50) to a support, atleast one deformable bag (59) being interposed between each rockingpusher (51) and the base (57).
 7. A device as claimed in claim 6,characterized in that the linear manipulator comprises at last threepushbuttons (50) which are disposed side by side and whose pushers (51)pivot, near one (55) of their ends and on the same side of themanipulator, about a common rocking pin (56) carried by a common base(57) in which apertures are formed for the passage of the connectingpipes (59a), each of which is connected to the single deformable bag(59) housed between each pusher (51) and the common base (57).
 8. Adevice as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the linearmanipulator comprises at least two pushbuttons (60), which are disposedside by side and each of whose pushers (61) pivots in its central partabout a common rocking pin (66) carried by a common base (67) provided,opposite each pusher (61), with two apertures for the passage of thepipes (69a) connected to the two deformable bags (69) housed betweeneach pusher (61) and the common base (67), one on each side of therocking pin (66).
 9. A hydraulic remote control device for at least onecontrolled member (211) movable on a support (213, 210), said devicecomprising:a manually operated control member and at least two hydraulicpositioning circuits each comprising: a positioning transmitter (9),which is a fluid pressure transmitter comprising a flexible walleddeformable bag containing a hydraulic fluid, at least one positioningreceiver (214), which is a fluid pressure receiver having a variablevolume chamber (215), and at least one line (9a, 216) connecting thetransmitter to the receiver,said hydraulic circuits being such that theflexible walled bag (9) of the transmitter of at least one hydrauliccircuit is mechanically deformed by the manual actuation of the controlmember, in such manner that fluid contained in it is transferred to atleast one of the receivers (214) connected to it, and the receivers(214) mechanically connect the controlled member (211) to its support(213, 210) in order to modify the position of the controlled memberrelative to the support in response to the operation of the controlmember, characterized in that the flexible walled bag (9) of eachtransmitter is mounted directly in the manually operated control member,and in that the manually actuated control member is an oscillatingmanipulator (70) comprising a tubular body (73) for fastening themanipulator to a support (76) and an oscillating pusher (71) guided by aball-and-socket joint (72, 75) in the tubular body (73) and engaged inthe latter by a portion forming a cam (72) deforming at least threedeformable bags (79) distributed, preferably regularly, inside thetubular body (73), the oscillating pusher (71) also being provided witha push plate (77) which is disposed outside the tubular plate (77) whichis disposed outside the tubular body (73) and which, when any eccentricthrust is applied to it, brings about a relative displacement of thetubular body (73) and of the pusher (71), thereby compressing at leastone deformable bag (79).
 10. A device as claimed in claim 9,characterized in that the portion of the pusher (71) which forms a camis a head (72) ball-jointed on an end face (74, 75) of the tubular body(73) and attached to the push plate (77) by a thinner portion (78) whichtogether with the tubular body (73) delimits at least one cavity housingbags (79) distributed around the head (72).
 11. A device as claimed inclaim 10, characterized in that the head (72) of the oscillating pusher(71) has the external shape of a cam comprising at least three lobes(72a) compressing deformable bags (79).
 12. A device as claimed in claim9, characterized in that the portion of the pusher (81) forming a cam isa skirt (82) whose external face is at least partially shaped as aconvex spherical dome mounted as a ball joint in a concave sphericaldome forming a bearing surface inside the tubular body (83), and theinner face of the skirt (82) delimits, in conjunction with a boss (85)engaged in the skirt (82) and fastened to the tubular body (83), atleast one cavity housing deformable bags (89) distributed around theboss (85), inside the skirt (82).
 13. A hydraulic remote control devicefor at least one controlled member (211) movable on a support (213,210), said device comprising:a manually operated control member and atleast two hydraulic positioning circuits each comprising: a positioningtransmitter (9), which is a fluid pressure transmitter comprising aflexible walled deformable bag containing a hydraulic fluid, at leastone positioning receiver (214), which is a fluid pressure receiverhaving a variable volume chamber (215), and at least one line (9a, 216)connecting the transmitter to the receiver,said hydraulic circuits beingsuch that the flexible walled bag (9) of the transmitter of at least onehydraulic circuit is mechanically deformed by the manual actuation ofthe control member, in such manner that fluid contained in it istransferred to at least one of the receivers (214) connected to it, andthe receivers (214) mechanically connect the controlled member (211) toits support (213, 210) in order to modify the position of the controlledmember relative to the support in response to the operation of thecontrol member, characterized in that the flexible walled bag (9) ofeach transmitter is mounted directly in the manually operated controlmember, and in that the manually actuated control member is amanipulator having a pusher (97) mounted floating on a base (91) servingfor fastening the manipulator to a support and having at least threecavities receiving deformable bags (94, 95, 93), facing which the pusher(97) is provided with cams (100, 101, 102) for the compression of thebags when a thrust is applied to the pusher.
 14. A device as claimed inclaim 13, characterized in that at least two bags (94, 95) partiallyoverlap (94a, 95a) facing a cam (102) on the pusher (97) whose approachstroke relative to the bags is shorter, on the displacement of thepusher (97) towards the base (91), than the approach strokes of cams(100, 101) facing nonoverlapping portions of the two partiallyoverlapping bags (94, 95).
 15. A device as claimed in claim 14,characterized in that the base has an additional central cavity housingan additional central deformable bag (112), around which are distributedthe other deformable bags (113, 114, 115) which are not overlapped bythe central bag (112), and the pusher (117) has a central cam (118)facing the central bag (112) and provided with a spherical bearingsurface in order to allow the simultaneous compression of the centralbag (112) and at least one other bag (113, 114, 115), the approachstroke of the central cam (118) towards the central bag (112) being theshortest of the approach stroke of the different cams of the pusher(117) (117), while the total stroke of the central cam (118) is suchthat when it has been accomplished and at least two bags (114, 115) havean overlap zone, a cam (122) facing the overlap zone is flush with theoverlapping portions of the two bags (114, 115).
 16. A hydraulic remotecontrol device for at least one controlled member (211) movable on asupport (213, 210), said device comprising:a manually operated controlmember and at least two hydraulic positioning circuits each comprising:a positioning transmitter (9), which is a fluid pressure transmittercomprising a flexible walled deformable bag containing a hydraulicfluid, at least one positioning receiver (214), which is a fluidpressure receiver having a variable volume chamber (215), and at leastone line (9a, 216) connecting the transmitter to the receiver,saidhydraulic circuits being such that the flexible walled bag (9) of thetransmitter of at least one hydraulic circuit is mechanically deformedby the manual actuation of the control member, in such manner that fluidcontained in it is transferred to at least one of the receivers (214)connected to it, and the receivers (214) mechanically connect thecontrolled member (211) to its support (213, 210) in order to modify theposition of the controlled member relative to the support in response tothe operation of the control member, characterized in that the flexiblewalled bag (9) of each transmitter is mounted directly in the manuallyoperated control member, and in that the manually actuated controlmember is a path switching manipulator (148) making possible theselective control of one or the other of two controlled members, theposition of each of which is determined by at least two, but preferablythree fluid pressure positioning receivers of the deformable receiverbag (130 to 132, 133 to 135) type, the manipulator comprising on the onehand a body (149) housing a corresponding number of fluid pressurepositioning transmitters of the deformable transmitter bag (145, 146,147) type, each of which is connected in parallel by connection pipes(142, 143, 144) to two positioning receivers each associated with one ofthe two controlled members, and on the other hand two fluid pressureobturating transmitters of the deformable obturating transmitter bag(153, 154) type, each of which is connected by a connection pipe (155,156) to a fluid pressure obturating receiver of the deformable receiverbag (157, 158) type, which is held by mechanical means in a pressuretransmission relationship with each of the deformable isolator bags (136to 138, 139 to 141), the number of which is equal to the number ofpositioning receiver bags and each of which is situated upstream of oneof said deformable positioning receiver bags (130 to 132 and 133 to 135)associated with one of the controlled members, in such a manner that thecompression of an obturating transmitter bag (153, 154) transfers fluidto the obturating receiver bag (157, 158) which is connected to it andwhich is placed under pressure and increases in volume in such a manneras to compress simultaneously the isolator bags (136 to 138, 139 to 141)upstream of the positioning receiver bags (130 to 132 and 133 to 135) ofthe corresponding controlled member in order to cut communicationbetween these positioning receiver bags and the positioning transmitterbags (145, 146, 147) of the manipulator (148) which remain incommunication with the positioning receiver bags associated with theother controlled member.
 17. A device as claimed in claim 16,characterized in that the body (149) of the manipulator (148) isfastened to a base (152) mounted on a support for pivoting about a pivotaxis (0, 0'), on each side of which the base (152) has a cavity, each ofwhich cavities houses, at least partially, one of the two obturatingtransmitter bags (153, 154) which are retained on the support, in such amanner that any pivoting of the manipulator (148) on the support, on oneside or the other of the axis (0, 0'), brings about the compression ofone of the obturating transmitter bags.
 18. A hydraulic remote controldevice for at least one controlled member (211) movable on a support(213, 210), said device comprising:a manually operated control memberand at least two hydraulic positioning circuits each comprising: apositioning transmitter (9), which is a fluid pressure transmittercomprising a flexible walled deformable bag containing a hydraulicfluid, at least one positioning a receiver (214), which is a fluidpressure receiver having a variable volume chamber (215), and at leastone line (9a, 216) connecting the transmitter to the receiver,saidhydraulic circuits being such that the flexible walled bag (9) of thetransmitter of at least one hydraulic circuit is mechanically deformedby the manual actuation of the control member, in such manner that fluidcontained in it is transferred to at least one of the receivers (214)connected to it, and the receivers (214) mechanically connect thecontrolled member (211) to its support (213, 210) in order to modify theposition of the controlled member relative to the support in response tothe operation of the control member, characterized in that the flexiblewalled bag (9) of each transmitter is mounted directly in the manuallyoperated control member, and in which each of the hydraulic circuitsincludes at least one detachable connector comprising a deformablereceiver connection bag (169) connected by a connection pipe (169a) tothe deformable bag of the corresponding transmitter, a deformabletransmitter connection bag (170) connected by a connection pipe (170a)to the deformable bag of the corresponding receiver, and a casing (161,162) housing the transmitter and receiver connection bags, holding thembearing one against the other in order to that the pressure exerted onthe receiver connection bag (169) will be transmitted to the transmitterconnection bag (170), characterized in that the casings of thedetachable connectors consist of a single connector body (160)comprising two panels (161, 162) which fold over and are detachablyfastened (168) one against the other and each of which has an equalnumber of at least three cavities, each of which comes to face a cavityin the other panel when the two panels (161, 162) are folded over andfastened one against the other, the three transmitter connection bags(170) each being disposed in one of the three cavities in a panel (162)which come to face the three cavities in the other panel (161) in eachof which cavities is disposed one of the three receiver connection bags(169).
 19. A device as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that theconnector body (160) is molded in one piece in a plastic material andits two panels (161, 162) provided with cavities are connected to oneanother by at least one flexible hinge (163) and are detachably fastenedone against the other by means of a resilient catch (168).
 20. A deviceas claimed in one of claims 18 and 19, comprising a path switchingmanipulator (148) according to one of claims 17 and 18, characterized inthat one of the two panels (172, 173) of the connector body (171) isprovided with two sets of cavities, each comprising:at least threecavities in which three receiver connection bags (176 to 178, 179 to181) are housed for the transmission of any control pressure to one ofthe two controlled members, and at least three cavities in which arehoused three deformable isolator bags (182 to 184, 185 to 187), eachrespectively in communication with one of the three receiver connectionbags of the corresponding set, the receiver connection bags (176 to 181)to the two sets being connected in three independent pairs (176-181,177-180, 178-179) each comprising a receiver connection bag of a set incommunication with a receiver connection bag of the other set via theirisolator bags (182 to 187) which are connected together by a couplingpipe (188, 190, 192) into which leads a pipe (189, 191, 193) connectingto one of the three positioning transmitter bags (145 to 147) of thepath switching manipulator (148), and the other panel (173) of theconnector body is also provided with two sets of cavities, eachcomprising: at least three cavities in which are housed threetransmitter connection bags (194 to 196 and 197 to 199) for thetransmission of any control pressure to one of the two controlledmembers and each of which is connected by a connection pipe (194a to199a) to a respective one of the three positioning receiver bags (130 to132 and 133 to 135) of the corresponding controlled member, and at leastone cavity in which is housed at least one deformable obturatingreceiver bag (200-201-202, 204-204-205) connected by a transmission pipe(206, 207) to one of the two obturating transmitter bags (153, 154) ofthe path switching manipulator (148),in such a manner that, when the twopanels (172, 173) are folded over and fastened one against the other,each of the three receiver connection bags (176 to 178, 179 to 181)corresponding to a controlled member is in the position for transmissionof pressure to a respective one of the three transmitter connection bags(194 to 196, 197 to 199) corresponding to the same controlled member,and the obturating receiver bag or bags (200 to 202, 203 205) associatedwith the three transmitter connection bags corresponding to the samecontrolled member is or are in the position for transmission of pressureto the three isolator bags (182 to 184, 185 to 187) in communicationwith the three receiver connection bags corresponding to the samecontrolled member.
 21. A device as claimed in claim 20, characterized inthat at least one of the two panels (172, 173) of the connector body(171) consists of two parts (173a, 173b) adapted to be detached,independently of one another, from the other panel (172), each partcontaining one of the two sets of cavities of the corresponding panel(173).
 22. A hydraulic remote control device for at least one controlledmember (211) movable on a support (213, 210), said device comprising:amanually operated control member and at least two hydraulic positioningcircuits each comprising: a positioning transmitter (9), which is afluid pressure transmitter comprising a flexible walled deformable bagcontaining a hydraulic fluid, at least one positioning receiver (214),which is a fluid pressure receiver having a variable volume chamber(215), and at least one line (9a, 216) connecting the transmitter to thereceiver,said hydraulic circuits being such that the flexible walled bag(9) of the transmitter of at least one hydraulic circuit is mechanicallydeformed by the manual actuation of the control member, in such mannerthat fluid contained in it is transferred to at least one of thereceivers (214) connected to it, and the receivers (214) mechanicallyconnect the controlled member (211) to its support (213, 210) in orderto modify the position of the controlled member relative to the supportin response to the operation of the control member, characterized inthat the flexible walled bag (9) of each transmitter is mounted directlyin the manually operated control member, and in which at least onecontrolled member (211) is retained on its support (213,210) by balljoint articulation means (219, 220, 224, 225) permitting, on the onehand, the locking of the controlled member (221) in position relative toits support (213,210) through the friction against one another of atleast two bearing surfaces (224, 225) in the form of spherical domeswhose curvatures are complementary and which have the same center assaid articulation means and are applied against one another by a lockingpressure, and on the other hand the changing of the orientation of thecontrolled member (211) in relation to its support (213, 210) throughthe action of an increase of the volume of at least one of the variablevolume chambers (215) of the positioning receivers (214) interposedbetween said controlled member (211) and its support (213, 210),characterized in that it comprises at least one additional hydrauliccircuit comprising an unlocking transmitter of the variable volumechamber type, which is within the reach of the user and is connected bya connection pipe (228a) to at least one unlocking receiver of thevariable volume chamber (228) type which is mounted on the support (213,210) in such a manner as to develop a pressure antagonistic to thelocking pressure in order to move apart said frictional bearing surfaces(224, 225) through an increase of the volume of said variable volumechamber (228) of the unlocking receiver as the result of a reduction ofthe volume of said variable volume chamber of the unlocking transmitter.23. A device as claimed in claim 22, characterized in that said variablevolume chambers of said unlocking transmitter and receiver each compriseat least one deformable flexible walled bag (228) which is mounteddirectly in the manually actuated control member for the unlockingtransmitter and is retained in at least one cavity provided in thecorresponding support (210) for the unlocking receiver, the lockingpressure being exerted resiliently (223) on the frictional bearingsurfaces (224, 225).
 24. A device as claimed in one of claims 22 and 23,of the type in which said ball joint articulation means comprise ahalf-ball (219) which is on the one hand engaged in a hemisphericalsocket (220) in a plate (212) connected to the controlled member (211)and on the other hand is fastened to a ember (221) connecting it to thesupport (213, 210), this connecting member passing through the bottom ofthe socket (220) and being loaded by a resilient member (223) bearing onthe one hand against the support (213) and on the other hand against theconnecting member (221) in order to exert said locking pressure,characterized in that said variable volume chamber of the unlockingreceiver is a deformable bag (228) disposed in a cavity provided in thesupport (210), in such a manner as to exert on said connecting member(221) an action antagonistic to that of said resilient member (223) whenthe deformable bag of the unlocking receiver (228) is inflated by areduction of the volume of the variable volume chamber of the unlockingtransmitter.
 25. A device as claimed in one of claims 22 and 23, of thetype in which said spherical dome frictional bearing surfaces (234, 235)of said ball joint articulation means comprise a convex bearing surface(234) formed on a plate (232) connected to the controlled member (231)and cooperating with a concave bearing surface (235) surrounding theconvex bearing surface and supported by a base (233) fastened to thesupport (230), characterized in that the concave bearing surface (235)is formed on a peripheral skirt (236) subdivided into contiguous panelsby radial slots (237) formed in the skirt (236), which surrounds anannular groove formed in the base and containing the variable volumechamber of the unlocking receiver, which chamber is composed of adeformable bag (238) having flexible walls and a substantially toricshape, so that the inflation of said substantially toric bag, inresponse to an unlocking command from the unlocking transmitter bringsabout the radial opening out of the panels of the skirt (236) inrelation to the convex bearing surface (234) and against their elasticreturn action specific to the material of which the skirt is made, inorder at least partially to free the convex bearing surface (234) fromits locking in position by the concave bearing surface (235) of theskirt and to permit its relative displacement through the action of thepositioning receivers.
 26. A device as claimed in one of claim 22 and23, of the type in which said spherical dome frictional bearing surfaces(248, 247) of said ball joint articulation means comprise a convexbearing surface (247) formed on a plate (243) connected to thecontrolled member (241) and cooperating with a concave bearing surfacewhich surrounds it and is formed on the support (240), characterized inthat the convex bearing surface (247) is formed on the outer sidesurface of said plate (243) whose bottom (244) is provided, on theopposite side to the controlled member (241), with a hemispherical boss(245) projecting towards the support (240) and having a smaller radiusthan that of the convex bearing surface (247) to form a half-ballconcentric to said convex bearing surface and engaged in a bowl (246) onthe support (240), said half-ball being held in position for rotation inthe bowl by the compression applied to the convex bearing surface (247)by a plurality of fingers (248), each of which is fastened to thesupport (240) and surrounds said convex bearing surface (247) in such amanner that each of them defines a portion of the concave bearingsurface, which is discontinuous, and each finger (248) delimiting in itszone (249) connecting it to the support (240) and on the side turnedtowards the plate (243) a cavity extending in the circumferentialdirection and containing at least one of the sausage-shaped inflatablebags (250) of a string of such bags serially connected by pipes (251) ofslight inside volume and forming the variable volume chamber of theunlocking receiver, in such a manner that the inflation of thesausage-shaped bags in response to an unlocking command received fromthe corresponding transmitter moves the fingers (248) radially apartagainst their natural elastic return action, so as to free the convexbearing surface (247) and permit rotation of the plate (243) by itshalf-ball (245) on the support (240) through the action of thepositioning receivers.